Green roofs – roofs that are planted with vegetation -- may improve the indoor air quality of commercial buildings by cutting the amount of ozone coming into the buildings from the outside, according to new research from Portland State University.
Green roofs – roofs that are planted with vegetation -- may improve the indoor air quality of commercial buildings by cutting the amount of ozone coming into the buildings from the outside, according to new research from Portland State University.
The findings add to the already known environmental benefits of green roofs, including reducing carbon dioxide, decreasing storm water runoff and cutting down on urban heat, according to PSU researchers.
The researchers from PSU’s departments of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Biology and the university’s Honors College, set up measuring devices on the roof of a big-box retail store in North Portland that was split between a green roof and a more conventional white membrane roof.
Read more at Portland State University
Image: Atmospheric ozone is deposited onto the plants on this Portland, Oregon, commercial roof. The plants help trap and filter some of the ozone as outdoor air is pulled into the building's interior. (Credit: Portland State University)
