Filtration of Mineral and Biological Aerosols by Natural Plant Panels
File version
Version of Record (VoR)
Author(s)
Michael, Ruby Naomi
Agranovski, Igor E
Griffith University Author(s)
Primary Supervisor
Other Supervisors
Editor(s)
Date
Size
File type(s)
Location
Abstract
This study investigated the potential of Tillandsia plants, which can be arranged as a soil-free living green panel, and Banksia flower spikes, which could be arranged as a non-living natural panel, to filter particulate matter (PM) and airborne microorganisms. The Tillandsia panels demonstrated superior PM filtration, achieving up to 74% efficiency for large particles (>10 μm) at air velocities of 1.0 and 1.5 m/s without increasing pressure drop substantially. Conversely, Banksia performed better at 0.5 m/s, filtering up to 53% of PM compared to Tillandsia’s 13%. Notably, both panel types demonstrated significant fungal filtration, removing over 50% of airborne spores at 1.5 m/s. These findings suggest that incorporating plant-based panels into urban environments can enhance air quality and public health especially for allergenic particles and microorganisms.
Journal Title
Atmosphere
Conference Title
Book Title
Edition
Volume
16
Issue
6
Thesis Type
Degree Program
School
Publisher link
Patent number
Funder(s)
Grant identifier(s)
Rights Statement
Rights Statement
© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Item Access Status
Note
Access the data
Related item(s)
Subject
Plant biology
Atmospheric sciences
Climate change science
Persistent link to this record
Citation
Tomson, N; Michael, RN; Agranovski, IE, Filtration of Mineral and Biological Aerosols by Natural Plant Panels, Atmosphere, 16 (6), pp. 694