Indoor Living Walls Can Boost The Health Of Workers, Study Finds

Sustainability Indoor Living Walls Can Boost The Health Of Workers, Study Finds Jamie Hailstone Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. I write about air quality and the environment. Following New! Follow this author to stay notified about their latest stories.

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(Photo by: Anthony Weller/View Pictures/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) View Pictures/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Air-circulating indoor green or living walls can improve the skin quality and immune system of office workers in less than a month, according to a new study. The study by Finnish scientists is first of its kind linking exposure to living green walls with improved skin integrity and enhanced immunity against pathogens and allergens. The results, published in the journal Scientific Reports, are based on 28 office workers divided into two groups in urban office environments in the Finnish cities of Tampere and Lahti.

One group of 11 had their workspaces fitted with air-purifying green walls, while the 17 remaining participants formed a control group with no green wall exposure. After just 28 days, those working alongside air-circulating green walls experienced an increase in both the number and diversity of friendly bacteria on their skin, compared with workers in the control group. These beneficial bacteria help the skin fend off pathogens and inflammation.

They also boost immune system responses, which indicates that being in spaces with green walls has a positive effect on health-supporting skin microbiota as well as the immune system. The green walls for the study were provided by Naava, a Finnish company specialized in green walls that produce outdoor air for indoor environments. The co-founder of Naava, Aki Soudunsaari said due to increased hygiene level and biodiversity loss, our natural exposure to environmental microbes has decreased.

MORE FOR YOU $100M Magic: Why Bruno Mars And Other Stars Are Ditching Their Managers In 2023, Insurance Executives Will Face Unprecedented Turbulence How This New Shopping App Aims To Revolutionize The Local Retail Economy “This is seen as one of the major reasons for the rise of autoimmune diseases and allergies,” he added. Study subjects in the test group were exposed to green walls only at the office during their workdays. Skin and blood samples were collected three times from both experimental and control group participants to monitor the impact of the green walls.

“The results indicate that we can support people’s health with relatively easy nature-based solutions,” said research scientist, Marja Roslund. Having grown up in Lapland, surrounded by some of the most pristine wilderness in the world, Soudunsaari hopes that more people recognize humanity as a species that needs exposure to nature. “Our goal should be to flow in tandem with nature, not against it,” he said.

Green walls – sometimes referred to as living walls – can also have additional health benefits when also placed on the outside of a building. When placed externally they can help cool the building, as well as improve outdoor air quality and absorb sound in city centres. Arup director Rudi Scheuermann said external living walls provide a natural solution to improve urban microclimates.

He said if we only used about 20-30% of external walls and rooftops for greening, inner city temperatures would benefit “significantly”. He added “far from being window dressing”, the right kind of green facades can transform cities by reducing temperatures, improving air quality, and absorbing rainwater. Scheuermann said internal green walls can also increase the productivity of people and neutralize emissions from hazardous airborne materials.

“We just have to give them the chance to deliver their contributions,” he added. “It will be to our benefit, if we take green walls seriously, and give them sufficient space to do their job. ” Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn .

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