House Plants As Purifiers

It was the American Space Agency (NASA) that discovered how eco-friendly house plants can be when it was looking for ways of providing Oxygen in space stations. NASA found that in an enclosed space, plants are super-efficient at cleansing chemicals, in the form of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC), from the air. These VOCs have no colour, smell or taste but can be detrimental to human health. They include chemicals found in paints and dry cleaning fluids, car exhaust fumes and cigarette smoke.

One of the best all-rounders in fighting air pollution is the PEACELILY (Spathiphyllum). Varieties of dracaena, dragon trees, are good at removing VOCs, in particular D. trichloroethylene, is given off by photocopiers, printers, paint and dry cleaning fluids.

Formaldehyde is given off by paper products such as tissues, furniture, carpets, adhesives and tobacco smoke causing asthma and other respiratory problems. Top of the house plant list for removing this from the air we breathe are the Boston fern (Nephrolepsis exaltata) and the Weeping fig (Ficus benjamina).

If you prefer a flowering plant to do the job, consider the daisy-like gerbera, or the moth orchid (Phalaenopsis).

Carbon Monoxide is the toxic gas found in car exhaust fumes. Research has found that a single Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum) placed in a small enclosed space, can remove 96% of the carbon monoxide from the air.

Benzene is also found in air exhaust fumes as well as cigarette smoke. Apart from spider plant, palms such as the Palour Palm (Chamaedorea degaficus) peacelily, dragon tree, Boston fern, Chrysanthemum and Gerbera are all effective at removing this absorption process, and provided they are looked after-given adequate water, light and food-can continue to absorb chemicals as they grow.

IMPORTANCE OF HOUSE PLANTS.

As well as removing harmful chemicals from the air, further research has proved that everyday

Houseplants are

1. Beneficial to our psychological well being.
2. They make rooms look cared for and welcoming.
3. House plants absorb noise and lessen dust.
4. They lower blood pressure.
5. They help concentration and improve memory.
6. They help, alleviate stress, promote feelings of relaxation calm and well being.
7. Plants live in harmony with humans-we give plants carbon dioxide when we breathe out, and they give us oxygen through transpiration.
8. Indoor plants boost oxygen levels and reduce air temperatures.
9. They also raise humidity, making it easier for us to breathe.
10. Aloe vera is an unusual plant in that it gives off oxygen at night and absorbs carbon dioxide, the opposite of the normal photosynthesis, other plants in the group doing the same include sanseviera (mother-in-law’s tongue) and members of the bromeliad family.

LIST OFENVIRONMENTAL PURIFYING  PLANTS.

v  Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum).

v  Dragon Tree (Dracaena).

v  Boston fern (Nephrolepsis exaltata).

v  The weeping fig (Ficus benjamina).

v  Gerbera.

v  Phalaenopsis.

v  Chlorophytum.

v  Chamaedorea.

v  Chrysanthemum.

v  Aloe vera.

v  Sanseviera.

v  Bromeliad Family.

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(Peacelily)

 

 Dracaena

Dracaena massanaegea