Indoor Air Biofilters

Giving you . . .

Clean air, naturally

©2014Drexel University

INDOOR AIR BIOFILTERS:

Changing Our

Indoor Environment

We are an indoor species

Improving the indoor environment with natural

systems

We live in a very artificial environment

Rely on mechanical systems

Indoor Air Quality

• US EPA has ranked indoor air pollution in top five threats to public health

• One of the largest health risks in the United States

Traditional Air Quality Control

Alternative Approach

The Nedlaw Indoor Air Biofilter

Real World TestingSampling period

1

2

3

4

Impact of Biofilter on TVOC Concentrations

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

no biofilter biofiltered space

TVO

C (

pp

b)

Clean Air Delivery Rate

• Recent study with major Canadian University

• Biofilters provided up to 100 litres of clean air per second per square metre of biofilter

Impact on Indoor Air Quality

0%

50%

100%

150%

200%

250%

0 5 10 15

Rela

tive V

OC

Co

ncen

trati

on

Ventilation Rate (Litres/s/person)

typical ventilation

Impact on Indoor Air Quality

0%

50%

100%

150%

200%

250%

0 5 10 15

Rela

tive V

OC

Co

ncen

trati

on

Ventilation Rate (Litres/s/person)

typical ventilation

typical + biofilter

Impact on Indoor Air Quality

0%

50%

100%

150%

200%

250%

0 5 10 15

Rela

tive V

OC

Co

ncen

trati

on

Ventilation Rate (Litres/s/person)

typical ventilation

typical + biofilter

The Nedlaw Indoor Air Biofilter

Beneficial microbes on surface of the plants degrade pollutants

……NOT the plants themselves

Typical Construction

Vertical duct

Perforations to let air in

Air moves up inside duct

And into manifold

Then back to HVACManifold connected toreturn air duct of HVAC

Cleaned air returnedto space

Installation of Growth Media

Growth media fastened to peaks of diffuser

Installed as two separate layers

Bare rooted plants are slipped into the growth media

Photo by Sean Corbert, Drexel University

Air Handling

Sites with built in fan

Sites connected to HVAC

Physical Improvement in IAQ

• Improved indoor air quality

– lower concentrations of indoor pollutants

• No disposal issues

– contaminants broken into benign constituents

Cambridge City Hall, Cambridge , On

Improvement in Indoor Environment

• Psychological impacts

• Reduced absenteeism

• Improved productivity

• Acoustic value

…Green the Indoor Space andImprove Building Performance

Corus Quay - Toronto

Venues

University of Windsor

System will fit a wide range of different venues

We usually just think of Atria

But also Industrial and Agricultural applications

and recreational

and retail

Gathering Places

Guelph Humber University

Royal Botanical Gardens - Hamilton

The living wall biofilter creates a natural gathering point within the building.

Create a sense of community in our hurried lives

…. A place to celebrate…. A place for quiet reflection

University of Waterloo Centre for the Environment

Passage Ways

…. Raising spirits

Mohawk College,Hamilton

Passage Way

Direct Energy Centre, Toronto

Assist in the flow through a space

The Possibilities Are Endless

Extremely efficient piece of machinery that just happens to look great

Further Info Available

• Performance data

• Integration into building systems

• Construction and design specifications

• Case studies

• System requirements

Alan Darlington Ph.D.

Nedlaw Living Walls Inc(519).648.9779www.nedlaw.caAlan@Nedlaw.ca

…. Thank You

Sabah Al-Salem University City, Kuwait

John TheurerCancer Center,Hackensack, NJ

Philadelphia, Pa

Drexel University,Philadelphia, Pn

Biohabitat Engineering

Dodge Foundation

Morristown, NJ

Western University, Osteopathic School,

Lebanon, OR

WESST CORPAlbuquerque,

NM