Out
On A Limb / March 2007
Ivy League Companions
Planning for the future, over the past twenty years, NASA has been investigating the question of how to make closed spaces on the moon, or on Mars, livable. One surprisingly reliable, accessible and affordable answer has been houseplants. NASA studies have proved that houseplants are remarkably efficient filters of common and dangerous pollutants.
The plants that seem to be most effective at filtering indoor air from contaminants and pollutants are English Ivy (Hedera), Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema), the peace lily (Spathiphyllum) arrowhead vine ( Syngonium), corn plant (Dracaena) and devil’s ivy ( Scindapsus), a marbled, yellow ivy resembling philodendron.
Flowering plants are also handy around the house. Mums, azaleas, gerbera daisies, cyclamen and even tulips help clean the air for short periods of time.
Gerbera daisies and chrysanthemums effectively remove benzene, a known carcinogen and common solvent used in gasoline, oils, paints, plastics and rubber. Although it is gradually being employed less often, benzene is also used in the manufacture of detergents, pharmaceuticals and dyes.
Philodendrons and spider plants are particularly efficient in removing formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is typically present in nearly all indoor environments. Particle board and pressed-wood products as well as urea-formaldehyde type insulations are common sources. Many consumer paper products like grocery bags, waxed paper, facial tissues and paper towels are treated with urea-formaldehyde resins.
Household cleaning agents, water repellents, fire retardants and adhesive binders in floor covering and carpet backing also contain formaldehyde.
Other common indoor pollutants like asbestos, lead and carbon monoxide emitted from fabrics, carpet, wall coverings, office equipment and additional building materials were also researched. One study found the right plants in the right place reduced indoor air pollutants as much as 87 percent.
Office equipment and pressed board furniture are known to emit toxins into the air. Plants help filter breathing zones when placed in an office worker’s personal space at the rate of one per seven feet of cubic space or approximately two per 100 square feet of floor space. Plants don’t seem to have any success filtering tobacco smoke from the air.
Good listeners who never eat the last cookie, never play their music too loud, and don’t bring friends over without notice, plants have always been excellent roommates. Now it turns out, they even tidy up without being asked.
Copyright © 2007 A Woman's View. All rights reserved.
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