Greenairy says its plant towers remove toxic gases from office air

Tanvi Thombre and Lakshya Saraf began investigating workplace air quality while they were engineering students working in their university makerspace. Thombre said via email that they were "unknowingly exposed to toxic fumes from laser cutters, 3D printers, and soldering irons," and that they did not realize it until her best friend fainted and had to go to the hospital. After that, she said, they began investigating indoor air pollution.

Saraf said air purifiers are good at cleaning out particulate matter like dust and pollen, but are less effective at removing toxic gases such as carbon dioxide, formaldehyde and benzine, many of which are classified as volatile organic compounds, or VOCs — chemicals that evaporate easily into the air. Thombre said VOCs are linked to chronic disease and "sick building syndrome," a condition in which occupants experience health effects and discomfort after spending time in a building even though no specific cause or illness has been identified. She pointed to Harvard research showing that improving indoor air quality improved cognitive function and productivity.

Greenairy's approach centers on plant towers that are supposed to draw in air, break down toxic gases and then release the purified air. Saraf said, "A plant in a pot cleans air slowly. But, when we change the conditions around the plant, it cleans air much faster and better than these conventional methods." Saraf also said some air purifier filters can remove "a narrow range of VOCs" but need to be changed frequently to be effective, while plants are "a natural solution, no harmful by-products are formed, and no filter replacement is required."

Greenairy has conducted short-term pilots at locations around Singapore. Saraf said that in the startup's own testing using RESET-certified air monitors, it compared three offices: one with Greenairy plant towers, one that had a medical-grade ionizer (a device that uses an electrical charge to make dust and other particles clump together and fall out of the air), and a third with a HEPA air purifier that traps very small particles. "Our tower had the lowest VOC levels and removed VOCs the fastest," she said.

Thombre said they saw an "immediate" improvement within regular office hours, with a 50% reduction in both the daily VOC average and peak levels. She said the results improved even more "as the plants and microbes mature and the gases are prevented from accumulating." Saraf said office staff also grew fond of the tower's natural "fresh" aroma and the natural vibe it brought.