Indoor Living Walls Can Boost The Health Of Workers, Study Finds
Sourced from Forbes
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.
From the Living Architecture Monitor
