Two-colored Dragon Tree (Dracaena Marginata Bicolor)

Air is our most important nourishment. Statistically, we take in 350,000 kilograms of air over the course of our lives. That is ten times more than food (35,000 kg) and five times as much as liquid (70,000 kg). Source: Austrian Federal Ministry for Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management

Above all, volatile organic compounds (VOC) such as formaldehyde, toluene, or benzene. They are contained in building materials, furniture, or technical devices and continuously evaporate over years. Fine dust (from printers and copiers) also plays a role.

Yes and no. Technical systems are (very) costly to acquire and require ongoing measures and investments (energy, maintenance, filter replacement). Since these are filtering systems, they only collect pollutants. Fresh air is not produced – unlike with plants.

The number of plants needed depends on the room size, the level of pollutants, and the sensitivity of the people living there. As a rule of thumb: an AIRY system of size S is sufficient for rooms up to 10 square meters, sizes M and L for up to 20 and 30 square meters respectively.

Indoor air is according to WHO up to 30 times more heavily polluted with harmful substances than outdoor air. Since people now spend about 90% of their time indoors, the effects are immense: Early signs of poisoning are ailments such as headaches and tiredness. Science calls this the "Toxic Home Effect" or "Sick Building Syndrome".

Ventilation helps against the CO2 load in the air – but that is only part of the problem. Above all, pollutants from furniture, carpets, paints, varnishes, and cleaning agents evaporate and accumulate in the indoor air (so-called VOCs, volatile organic compounds). Fine dust, caused for example by road traffic, can also enter indoors through ventilation and burden the indoor air. The AIRY Biofilter collects all these pollutants – and is continuously cleaned by the plant roots.

Yes. Without plants, life on planet Earth would not be possible. Therefore, NASA has researched how plants can be used to cleanse the air in space. They examined 30 different plant species for their air-purifying properties. The result: There are certain plants that have specialized over the course of evolution to "feed from the air." These plants mostly come from dry, hot regions and are excellently suited for purifying indoor air.

Plants take in air through their leaves as part of photosynthesis. They transport contained pollutants to the root system. There, the pollutants (especially VOCs) are broken down by plant enzymes and microorganisms into their basic chemical components (amino acids, starch, glucose). This means: the pollutant is completely converted into nutrients for the plant without residue. In the mentioned NASA study, plants were fully ventilated (including the root system). When the leaves were removed, the plant's performance only slightly decreased (5-12%). This led to the conclusion that only the ventilation of the root system enabled the full capacity of the plants.

The AIRY Base consists of lava, pumice, and zeolite rock. This power blend, developed by scientists, significantly enhances the effectiveness of AIRY. The porous stones promote root aeration through their coarse grain. Additionally, they absorb a great deal of water, which they gradually release to the plant roots. Odors and pollutants are also trapped in the porous structure thanks to the airflow from below. The capillary effect ensures continuous absorption and residue-free release of pollutants from the substrate to the roots. This prevents the rock from clogging. Unlike industrial filters or activated charcoal filters, the substrate never needs to be replaced.

Hydroculture is a system in which plants grow without soil. In such systems, there are no microorganisms, which are essential for the growth of plants. The absence of these organisms can cause the plants to rot and harmful bacteria to develop. This can lead to health problems for us humans indoors.

Hydroculture is a system in which plants grow without soil. In such systems, there are no microorganisms, which are essential for the growth of plants. The absence of these organisms can cause the plants to rot and harmful bacteria to develop. This can lead to health problems for us humans indoors.

The proverbial "stuffy air" indoors has various consequences:

• Discomfort symptoms (headache, tiredness, mood swings, difficulty concentrating, loss of appetite, nausea, sleep disturbances)
• Irritations of the respiratory tract and eyes
• Allergies and hypersensitivities

It depends on the plant growing in the AIRY. Scientific studies have identified about 30 plants that are especially effective against environmental poisons in the air. These are typically so-called "air roots" from the rainforest or desert plants. These plants are able to break down volatile organic compounds (VOC) such as formaldehyde, benzene, or toluene.

We use the effect of the "chimney effect": temperature and pressure differences as well as air movements in the room ensure that air enters the inside at the bottom of the pot and rises between the inner pot and the outer wall, where it can leave the pot again.

No. The pollutants are completely removed without residue, so no "garbage dump on the windowsill" is created. Moreover, the bothersome repotting is unnecessary: Due to the design of the inner pot, the water-carrying root stops growing ("air pruning") and thus gives the nutrient-absorbing root hairs significantly more space. This promotes the rapid and healthy growth of the plant.

An AIRY system consists of the three parts pot, soil, and plant. To ensure easy care and the best chance of success, we have developed our own mineral soil. It provides the plant with an ideal home.

For ongoing use, only light and water are needed. Both depend on the plant. The pot’s water tank ensures comfortable care intervals. Experience shows that the system needs more water in the first weeks until the room’s air moisture has balanced out.

The pot systems are manufactured on our behalf by a medium-sized injection molding company in North Rhine-Westphalia.

We developed the mineral substrate together with the company Klanz. Pumice and lava are quarried in the Eifel region, and the zeolite comes from Slovakia.

We source the plants directly from the Netherlands. They are quality-checked by the nursery “Orchideen Wichmann” in Celle (Lower Saxony) and shipped from there to our customers.

Yes, several times. Most recently, the Fraunhofer Institute conducted extensive studies using various pollutants (xylene, toluene) as examples. Compared to a plant in a conventional pot, the AIRY system was many times more effective. The studies can be accessed here: https://airy.green/pages/funktionsweise