Journal of Environmental Health Sciences (한국환경보건학회지)

Korean Society of Environmental Health (한국환경보건학회)
권호 표지
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Evaluation of Particulate Matter (PM2.5) Reduction through Greenwalls in Classrooms

교실 내 벽면녹화를 통한 초미세먼지(PM2.5) 저감 효과 평가

  • Chi-Ku Choi (Department of Environmental Engineering, Hoseo University) ;
  • Ho-Hyeong Yang (Research Institute for Living and Industrial Environment in Seokyeong University) ;
  • Ho-Hyun Kim (Research Institute for Living and Industrial Environment in Seokyeong University) ;
  • Hyuk-Ku Kwon (Department of Environmental Engineering, Hoseo University)
  • 최치구 (호서대학교 환경공학과) ;
  • 양호형 (서경대학교 생활 및 산업환경 연구소) ;
  • 김호현 (서경대학교 생활 및 산업환경 연구소) ;
  • 권혁구 (호서대학교 환경공학과)
  • Received : 2023.08.18
  • Accepted : 2023.08.29
  • Published : 2023.08.31
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Abstract

Background: The indoor air quality of classrooms, in which the capacity per unit area is high and students spend time together, must be managed for safety and comfort. It is necessary to develop an eco-friendly indoor air quality reduction method rather than biased management that relies solely on air purifiers. Objectives: In this study, plants and air purifiers were installed in middle school classrooms to evaluate the indoor PM2.5 reduction. Methods: Four middle school classrooms were selected as test beds. Air quality was monitored in real-time every one minute using IoT equipment installed in the classrooms, corridors, and rooftops. After measuring the background concentration, plants and air purifiers were installed in the classroom and the PM2.5 reduction effect was analyzed through continuous monitoring. Results: After installing the plants and air purifiers, the average PM2.5 concentration was 33.7 ㎍/m3 in the classrooms without plants and air purifiers, 25.6 ㎍/m3 in classrooms with plants only, and 21.7 ㎍/m3 in classrooms with air purifiers only. In the classroom where plants and air purifiers were installed together, it was 20.0 ㎍/m3. The reduction rates before and after installation were 4.5% for classrooms with plants only, 16.5% for classrooms with air purifiers only, and 27.6% for classrooms with both plants and air purifiers. The I/O ratio, which compares the concentration of PM2.5 in classrooms with corridors and outside air, also showed the lowest in the order of plants and air purifiers, air purifiers, and plant-only classrooms. Conclusions: The PM2.5 reduction effect of using plants was confirmed, and it is expected to be used as basic data for the development of environmentally-friendly indoor air quality improvement methods.

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References

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