Just about the most fundamental requirement in life!
I subscribe to the Mother Nature Network website and recently in their ’round robin’ was this item, A Breath of Fresh Air. It’s all about the role of plants inside the home for improving the quality of the air we breathe. Thought, dear reader, that you would enjoy this.
15 houseplants for improving indoor air quality
Photo: ivama/Flickr
A breath of fresh air
In the late ’80s, NASA and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America studied houseplants as a way to purify the air in space facilities. They found several plants that filter out common volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Lucky for us the plants can also help clean indoor air on Earth, which is typically far more polluted than outdoor air. Other studies have since been published in the Journal of American Society of Horticultural Science furtherproving the science. Want to see the best flowers? Just click through the buttons above to see all 15 plants. (Text: Julie Knapp)<
The image above is just one of 17, each with details of how they contribute to cleaner, less toxic, air. So don’t delay, click here and read all about them yourself. Here’s an example of the presentation from picture number 16.
Peace lily (Spathiphyllum)
Shade and weekly watering are all the peace lily needs to survive and produce blooms. It topped NASA’s list for removing all three of most common VOCs — formaldehyde, benzeneand trichloroethylene. It can also combat toluene and xylene.
Thanks for this, Paul. After many years of being involved in the site investigation and remediation of contaminated land, it is fascinating to learn about the ability of plants to take all these VOCs out of the air.
However, if you’ve got these VOCs in your house every day, you are doing something seriously wrong (or need to move home). Having said that, if you like doing your own painting and decorating, you should always be very careful to heed manufacturers’ warnings and have the room well-ventilated (and leave it as soon as you can).
I also saw a great list on a blog (thestayathomescientist). There is a list that tells which toxins plants take from the air, and which ones they put into the air. Was a bit over my head, but is worth taking a look at again.
I brought some of my house plants indoors yesterday, after letting them grow outside for a while for this very reason. I am sure we have toxins in our home. Mold grows outside, and sometimes inside. I don’t know if plants can help with that, but my landlords say it is Algae! In NC. They don’t think I know better. Sigh… I just shake my head at them and look in the classifieds 😉
Loved this post and followed the link…. I wonder how many realise how important PLANTS and TREES are in our lives for giving us AIR to breathe … We work together … As ONE..
🙂
The power of truth, Sue! Sooner or later, and I hope sooner as you do, all humanity on this single, precious planet will come to know the truth. There is only one planet that sustains all of life – this one.
Learning from Dogs 
Good article. I absolutely love this site. Keep it up!
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Thanks for this, Paul. After many years of being involved in the site investigation and remediation of contaminated land, it is fascinating to learn about the ability of plants to take all these VOCs out of the air.
However, if you’ve got these VOCs in your house every day, you are doing something seriously wrong (or need to move home). Having said that, if you like doing your own painting and decorating, you should always be very careful to heed manufacturers’ warnings and have the room well-ventilated (and leave it as soon as you can).
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Sound advice, Martin.
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I also saw a great list on a blog (thestayathomescientist). There is a list that tells which toxins plants take from the air, and which ones they put into the air. Was a bit over my head, but is worth taking a look at again.
I brought some of my house plants indoors yesterday, after letting them grow outside for a while for this very reason. I am sure we have toxins in our home. Mold grows outside, and sometimes inside. I don’t know if plants can help with that, but my landlords say it is Algae! In NC. They don’t think I know better. Sigh… I just shake my head at them and look in the classifieds 😉
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Michelle, that’s a great recommendation in terms of that website. Just been across to The Stay At Home Scientist and recommend others to take a peek.
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Loved this post and followed the link…. I wonder how many realise how important PLANTS and TREES are in our lives for giving us AIR to breathe … We work together … As ONE..
🙂
LikeLike
The power of truth, Sue! Sooner or later, and I hope sooner as you do, all humanity on this single, precious planet will come to know the truth. There is only one planet that sustains all of life – this one.
LikeLike