We spend around 90 per cent of our time indoors, where air quality is essential for our health and wellbeing. However, offices, homes, educational establishments and public buildings can accumulate volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by furniture, building materials, cleaning products and other everyday items. Prolonged exposure to these compounds has been linked to an increased risk of respiratory disorders and other adverse health effects. Consequently, finding sustainable solutions to control these pollutants is one of the major challenges currently facing research into indoor air quality.
In this context, the use of plants to improve air quality in enclosed spaces represents a sustainable and as yet largely unexplored solution. At the Institute of Sustainable Processes we have contributed to the advancement of these plant-based solutions by presenting our findings at Indoor Air 2026, the leading international scientific conference on indoor air quality, held in Singapore from 14 to 18 June 2026.
Our researcher María Sol Montaluisa presented her work, supervised by ISP researchers Pedro García-Encina, Raúl Muñoz and Raquel Lebrero, on the elucidation of the mechanisms of VOC removal in botanical biofilters during indoor air treatment in a test chamber. The study provided new insights into the role of the interaction between leaf tissue, the root system and the rhizosphere microbial communities in pollutant removal.
The ISP’s participation in Indoor Air 2026 has enabled it to publicise these advances, strengthen international collaborations and continue to drive the development of nature-based solutions that help improve indoor air quality and design healthier and more sustainable buildings.
