Hot Toys November 2009
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Great Air Cleaners For Your Home: Plants?
Removing pollutants from the air in your home can be expensive. Some upright filters can cost you more than $700, plus those exchangeable filters you have to purchase every few months. But, if you are a single parent on a budget there is a much cheaper option: Researchers have found several plants that remove toxins and pollutants from the air in our homes.
A group of scientists led by Stanley Kays from the Department of Horticulture at the University of Georgia, tested ornamental indoor plants for their ability to remove harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from indoor air and found some interesting results.
According to Kays, some indoor plants have the ability to effectively remove harmful VOCs from the air, and not only have the ability to improve our physical health, but also have been shown to enhance our psychological health. Adding these plants to indoor spaces can reduce stress, increase task performance, and reduce symptoms of ill health, the group found.
Of the 28 species tested, Hemigraphis alternata (purple waffle plant), Hedera helix (English ivy), Hoya carnosa (variegated wax plant), and Asparagus densiflorus (Asparagus fern) had the highest removal rates for all of the VOCs introduced. Tradescantia pallida (Purple heart plant) was rated superior for its ability to remove four of the VOCs.
A long list of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, including benzene, xylene, hexane, heptane, octane, decane, trichloroethylene (TCE), and methylene chloride, have been shown to cause illnesses in people who are exposed to the compounds in indoor spaces. Acute illnesses like asthma and nausea and chronic diseases including cancer, neurologic, reproductive, developmental, and respiratory disorders are all linked to exposure to VOCs.
“The VOCs tested in this study can adversely affect indoor air quality and have a potential to seriously compromise the health of exposed individuals,” Kays explained. “Benzene and toluene are known to originate from petroleum-based indoor coatings, cleaning solutions, plastics, environmental tobacco smoke, and exterior exhaust fumes emanating into the building; octane from paint, adhesives, and building materials; TCE from tap water, cleaning agents, insecticides, and plastic products; and alpha-pinene from synthetic paints and odorants.”
Harmful indoor pollutants represent a serious health problem that is responsible for more than 1.6 million deaths each year, according to a 2002 World Health Organization report.
