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Insights into Ambius & UTS Research
Groundbreaking results all businesses need to know
This groundbreaking research places a distinct focus on indoor air quality, shining a light on the often overlooked pollutants present in indoor air. These harmful substances have a significant impact on our health and wellbeing, highlighting the need for greater awareness and action.
Green walls have previously shown to be capable of removing a broad range of indoor air contaminants, but no research has previously tested the phytoremediation of petroleum vapour - one of the most important sources of highly carcinogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in buildings worldwide.
Most workplaces, private dwellings and even schools have attached garages, are located on a busy road or have a petrol station nearby. What this means is that every day petrol related chemicals enter our indoors, circulate, mix with other chemicals already found in indoor air.
The remarkable insights this research brings is that plants effectively absorb these toxins and through a process of photosynthesis break them down and release oxygen.
Methodology
Ambius Live Picture GO
The research study utilized Ambius Live Picture GO green wall, exposed to petroleum vapour.
The experiment was conducted inside a specially designed perspex chamber, ensuring a sealed environment.
9 x Ambius Live Picture Go green walls were tested, as replicate systems. Each containing 4 x 130mm plants. The species used was Scindapsus Aureus, Syngonium and Chlorophytum.
The testing was repeated hourly.
Petrol Related Chemicals
A cocktail of petrol related chemicals, some of the most harmful chemicals were placed into each chamber and the removal rates tested. Each ampule containing a specific petrol based VOC was heated to 80 degrees and introduced into the chamber with Ambius Live Picture GO.
The biggest VOC removal was recorded in an 8 hour period. Over a longer exposure period the results showed continued removal.
Some of the chemicals tested:
- Alkanes
- Benzene derivatives
- Cyclopentanes
- Esters
- Halides
- Thiols
- Alcohols
Testing Process
For each trial, 250 microliter* of petrol chemicals were placed in a heated bath at 80 degrees. Once placed in the sealed chamber, the next step was to allow petrol vapour to volatilise.
Solid phase-microextraction fibres were inserted into the chamber to accumulate gaseous VOCs for processing by chromatography - mass spectrometry. After each hour a sample of accumulation, a single fibre was processed on the GC-MS. A total of nine independent replicates per treatment were conducted, each spanning an 8 hour exposure period.
*1 microliter = 0.001ml
The Research study results:
The Ambius Live Picture GO was highly effective at removing total VOCs in an 8 hour period. Interestingly, the system was especially effective at removal of alkanes, benzene compounds and cyclopentane compounds - which represent some of the most dangerous components of petrol vapour, and in the case of benzene derivatives, the major cause of VOC - related health symptoms.
40 Individual pVOCs were identified across 9 different functional groups within the petrol vapour.
Planted Ambius Live Picture GO removed over 50% of the pollutants from all chemical classes, with the exception of alcohol, which may have been due to the plants naturally producing alcohol metabolites.
Although removal of all chemical classes was high - most effective removal was demonstrated for some of the most toxic chemicals:
- Alkanes - 97.9%
- Cyclopentanes - 88.18%
- Benzene derivatives - 85.96%
All of these are known to cause notable health effects for indoor occupants.
Ambius and UTS webinar
Learn more through the webiar video where UTS and Ambius share incredible insights on the Indoor Air Quality and how this first-of-a-kind research impacts every indoors; workplaces, schools, public spaces to homes.
Dr Fraser Torpy (UTS) and Johan Hodgson (Ambius) uncover incredible insights on:
- The indoor air quality concerns
- The most toxic chemicals lurking in indoor air
- The astounding research findings that show just how effective plants are in removal of VOCs and specifically petrol-related toxins
- The Ambius formula - that enables the plants to be healthy and thriving, key to removal of indoor nasties.
This is the first evidence for the simulataneous removal of a complex mixture of VOCs sourced from petroleum vapour, one of the most gaseous contaminant sources in indoor air, finding that Live Picture Go preferentially removed some of the most toxic compounds... A highly effective system for the removal of the most dangerous indoor air contaminants!
Check out our ranges of plants
Green wall range
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At Ambius, we believe all workspaces, small and large, can reap the benefits of indoor plants. Even desks can benefit from the addition of small indoor plants. Our Ambius consultants’ creativity is not limited to space.
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