Recent advances in biological systems for improving indoor air quality

Abstract

Studies on human exposure to indoor air pollution reveal that indoor environments could be at least twice as polluted as outdoor environments. Indoor air pollution has not received as much attention than outdoor air pollution, despite an adult spending now most of the time indoors as a result of the global shift in the economy from the manufacturing sector towards the service and knowledge-based sectors, which operate in indoor office environments. Additionally, the health threats caused by a long-term exposure to indoor air pollution have become more apparent over the last decades as buildings are progressively sealed against the outside climate conditions to obtain heating and cooling energy cost savings and in response to stricter safety guidelines. Currently there is not a single technology that can efficiently provide a complete and satisfactory purification of indoor air. Biological systems for improving indoor air quality are promising, but challenges need to be examined to properly address the bioavailability of low pollutant concentrations, guarantee microbial safety, and incorporate CO2-removal. This study presents the recent research advances in biological indoor air purification methods as a ‘green’ alternative to physical–chemical methods, with emphasis on current challenges and opportunities it can provide for improving Indoor Environment Quality, building energy cost savings and improvements on indoor comfort and well-being.