Use of exhaled CO2 for crop growth in urban environments

Abstract

Aiming for synergies between indoor air quality in high-occupancy buildings and urban agriculture, this research investigates the capacity to enhance crop growth based on the generation of CO2 from occupants' exhalation in university classrooms. Accordingly, the CO2 concentrations of eight campuses classrooms of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia have been analyzed over a period of one year. The data have been obtained from sensors installed through the climate action strategy designed by the university and are available through SIRENA platform. Results show great potential in the utilization of exhaled CO2 thanks to the generation during school periods. However, the profiles obtained show discontinuous CO2 availability throughout the year and during the hours of maximum photosynthetic activity of plants. Moreover, the measured CO2 levels exceed, on many occasions, the recommended limit for crop growth.

The authors also acknowledge the financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN) for the financial support of the research projects: MOVE4EDU "Modular ventilation system integrated with urban food production in educational b1236 1. Introduction Indoor air quality (IAQ) is a crucial aspect of creating safe and comfortable environments, especially in educational

Postprint (published version)