Green Infrastructure as a built environment air quality service

Green Infrastructure as a

built environment air quality

service

Professor John Dover The Green Wall Centre, Staffordshire University

[email protected]

21st October 2016

Essential

Infrastructure

“Green infrastructure is the sum of an area’s

environmental assets, including stand-alone

elements and strategically planned and delivered

networks of high quality green spaces and other

environmental features including surfaces such as

pavements, car parks, driveways, roads and

buildings (exterior and interior) that incorporate

biodiversity and promote ecosystem services”.

Dover (2015)

GI D

efinitio

n:

Ecosystem Services can help

with many current and future

challenges

Climate

Change Societal

Value

Amenity

Value

Health &

Wellbeing

Energy

Management

Water

Management

Urban

Climate

Ecosystem

Services

Inside buildings and outside

Challe

nges

Ecosystem Services can help

with many current and future

challenges

Climate

Change Societal

Value

Amenity

Value

Health &

Wellbeing

Energy

Management

Water

Management

Urban

Climate

Ecosystem

Services

He

alth

&

Wellb

ein

g

Air

Pollution

Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOCs) In

door

Air P

ollu

tion

Plants – especially

microbes in the root-zone

can detoxify VOCs

• Higher concentrations indoors

• Hundreds of compounds

• Some carcinogens

• Given off by building products,

furnishing, electrical, etc.

• Sick-building syndrome

Plants and the work environment P

roductivity

• Reduces VOC concentrations

• Improves climate (humidity)

• May reduce microbes in the air

• Increased job satisfaction

• Higher quality of life scores

• Reduced work pressure

• Reduced absences

• Better productivity GAME CHANGER

Can be used with Air Cons A

ir C

onditio

nin

g

http://www.nedlawlivingwalls.com/projects/

http://www.nedlawlivingwa

lls.com/technology/works/

Bio

filter

& H

VA

C

In this system, air is drawn

through the living wall, and

then into the HVAC

© Nedlaw

© Nedlaw

http://www.nedlawlivingwalls.com/benefits/impact/

Com

pany D

ata

© Nedlaw

Room dividers

Indoor vegetation can be a fixed or a mobile facility creating and

recreating spaces as required. Green walls take up little space.

Space u

tilis

ation

Outd

oors

Birmingham New St

and Moor St Stations

PM

1 B

irm

ingh

am

New

Str

ee

t S

tatio

n

Differential

Capture Rates

Unpublished Data © Udeshika Weerakkody

Case study

A38 Bristol Street

Birmingham

Part

icula

te

Pollu

tion

Sternberg et al.

(2010) ivy

(Hedera sp.) on

walls is Oxford

was effective in

removing PM2.5

and PM1 (and

below)

particulates at

densities of

2.9x1010/m2

Climbers and environment P

art

icula

te

Pollu

tion

Green screens raised in

Nursery Iv

y S

cre

ens

Insta

llation

Sam

plin

g

Nursery x250 mag A38 Bristol St x250 mag

66 days PM

10 a

nd

be

low

Probably over

145 million/day

captured per

m2 of green

screen

512 μm wide x 384 μm high

Nursery x250 mag A38 Bristol St x250 mag

66 days

Pollu

tion O

utd

oors

Plants Capture PM and Gasses

NO2

SO2

O3

CO2

CO

PM10-1.0

Aerogation ACTIVE Living wall unit A

ctive

syste

ms

outd

oors

http://www.treebox.co.uk/

Caveats

/

Consid

era

tions

The right plants in the right place

• Some plants produce pollen which cause

allergic reactions

• Some plants emit a lot of VOCs which can

combine with NO2 (photochemical reaction) to

produce O3

• Evergreen or Deciduous species?

• Who will maintain the plants (ongoing cost)?

• Where will the water come from?

Overall •Improve air quality

•Reduce air pollution

•Moderate climate

•Look good (aesthetics) •Nice to look at

•Hides ugly buildings

•Graffiti control

•Improve Insulation

•Lower energy consumption

•Reduced CO2 emissions

•Reduce stress

•Provide habitat for wildlife

•Education

•Sustainable Urban Drainage

•Grow Food

Sum

mary

© Caroline Chiquet

1. What is Green Infrastructure?

2. Benefits of Green Infrastructure

3. Indoors

4. Permeable Pavements

5. Green Walls

6. Green Roofs

7. Street Trees

8. Policy, Regulation and Incentives

CONTENTS:

Book

All images in this presentation, unless otherwise credited, © John Dover

ESEM particulate images © Simon Phillips/John Dover, Caroline Chiquet