The Effect of an Active Plant-Based System on Perceived Air Pollution

The Effect of an Active Plant-Based System on Perceived Air Pollution

Armijos Moya, T.E. (TU Delft Design of Constrution; TU Delft Indoor Environment)
Ottele, M. (TU Delft Materials and Environment)
van den Dobbelsteen, A.A.J.F. (TU Delft Climate Design and Sustainability)
Bluyssen, P.M. (TU Delft Indoor Environment)

2021

Active plant-based systems are emerging technologies that aim to improve indoor air quality (IAQ). A person’s olfactory system is able to recognize the perceived odor intensity of various materials relatively well, and in many cases, the nose seems to be a better perceiver of pollutants than some equipment is. The aim of this study was to assess the odor coming out of two different test chambers in the SenseLab, where the participants were asked to evaluate blindly the level of acceptability, intensity, odor recognition, and preference at individual level with their noses. Two chambers were furnished with the same amount of new flooring material, and one of the chambers, Chamber A, also included an active plant-based system. The results showed that in general, the level of odor intensity was lower in Chamber B than in Chamber A, the level of acceptability was lower in Chamber A than in Chamber B, and the participants identified similar sources in both chambers. Finally, the preference was slightly higher for Chamber B over Chamber A. When people do not see the interior details of a room and have to rely on olfactory perception, they prefer a room without plants.

Active plant-based system
Indoor air quality
Phytoremediation
Plant monitoring
Pollution sources
Sensory assessment

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:f912526c-292c-452e-ab16-473e7637c73b

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18158233

1660-4601

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18 (15)

Institutional Repository

journal article

© 2021 T.E. Armijos Moya, M. Ottele, A.A.J.F. van den Dobbelsteen, P.M. Bluyssen