| Introduction | | | | specializes in this area " |
| People have worked indoors for many centuries, but it | | | | The following link is to a Fact Sheet from the |
| is only in the last few decades that the indoor | | | | Australian Department of the Environment, which gives |
| environment is generally totally sealed, air conditioned, | | | | details on the VOCs indoors and their health effects. |
| and filled with synthetic materials that can out gas | | | | John Bergs in a study in the Netherlands found that |
| chemicals into the air. These chemicals called VOCs, | | | | health complaints by office workers have been on the |
| or volatile organic compounds, can have | | | | increase since the seventies, and found that on |
| concentrations several times higher then that present | | | | average some 35% of office workers are dissatisfied |
| in outdoor city air, and are recognized as having a | | | | with the interior environment and 20% suffer from |
| deleterious effect on the health of people working in | | | | health complaints such as eye complaints and nose |
| this environment. | | | | and throat irritations. In the same study he showed the |
| Over the last twenty years it has become recognized | | | | benefits that can accrue from having indoor plants in |
| that indoor plants have the ability to remove these | | | | the office. |
| VOCs from the indoor air, or at least substantially | | | | It is well to remember that indoor air could be found to |
| reduce their concentration. | | | | be under the control of the employer and as such the |
| This article out lines the health effect thought to be | | | | employer may have responsibilities and potential |
| caused by these VOCs in indoor air, and looks at the | | | | liabilities. |
| research behind the removal of these compounds | | | | Indoor Plant Hire Benefits. |
| using indoor plants. As the most effective way to | | | | Over the last twenty years, it has been proven that |
| keep plants healthy in offices is indoor plant hire, it is | | | | healthy indoor plants, as used in indoor plant hire, have |
| suggested that indoor plant hire is the preferred option | | | | the ability to remove VOCs from the indoor air. |
| of maintaining plants in offices. | | | | Research has shown that the system in action is the |
| Air quality inside offices | | | | biological interaction between the plant roots and the |
| The use of synthetic building materials, printers, | | | | potting mix, enhancing micro organisms present to "eat |
| computers, cleaners and personal care products, | | | | up" the VOCs. Further more; their appetite seems to |
| combined with the practice of air conditioning buildings, | | | | increase with increased exposure to VOCs. |
| has resulted in the build up of chemicals called volatile | | | | As early as 1980, Dr. Wolverton working for the |
| organic compounds in buildings. Below are some | | | | NASA space program discovered that indoor plants |
| building materials and the chemical they exude: | | | | could remove VOCs from sealed test chambers. This |
| Adhesives, ceiling tiles, paints, printers Benzene, | | | | was part of a NASA study into clean air inside closed |
| Toluene, Ethyl Benzene and Xylene. | | | | life support systems. |
| Photocopiers, particle board Formaldehyde | | | | In 1990 Dr. Wolverton in association with the Plants for |
| It will be shown later in this article that the indoor plants | | | | Clean Air Council in the U.S. tested fifty indoor plants |
| used in indoor plant hire can remove the above | | | | for their ability to remove various VOCs from sealed |
| chemicals. | | | | test chambers. These finding were published in Dr. |
| Amongst other contaminants, over 300 VOCs have | | | | Wolverton's book "ECO friendly house plants", |
| been found in office air (Weshler Shields 1996) as well | | | | published in 1996. |
| as other toxic gasses such as nitrogen oxide and | | | | A lot of recent research on the subject has been |
| carbon monoxide (Ross 1996). | | | | carried out by Ronald Wood and Associate Professor |
| Frequently no single pollutant having toxic potential is | | | | Margaret Burchett from the U.T.S. in Sydney. |
| present in unhealthy amounts, yet combined they form | | | | Research in test chambers, progressed to |
| part of a chemical soup, which when combined with | | | | experiments in real office situations in Sydney, and the |
| ozone can produce hydroxyl radicals (Weshler 1996). | | | | results were published in their paper entitled "The |
| In Australia the CSRIO can sample air within buildings | | | | potted plant microcosm substantially reduces indoor air |
| and is able to measure a large range of potential | | | | VOC pollution: 1. Office field study" February 1996. |
| pollutants. | | | | Some of the conclusions were: |
| Health effects of VOC exposure | | | | Where indoor TVOC load was above 100 parts per |
| Research in Europe and the U.S. shows that most | | | | billion, indoor plants reduced the level by up to 70% |
| people in cities spend 90% of their time indoors | | | | Reducing the number of plants per test location did not |
| (Hodgson, Mann and Cavello 1997), and productivity | | | | reduce the VOC levels removed, pointing to increased |
| losses of up to 6% have been shown in buildings | | | | activity by the micro organisms. |
| where the indoor air quality is poor. | | | | Research in Europe ( John Bergs and Tove Fjeld) and |
| The Minnesota Department of Health in the U.S. lists | | | | the United States (Virginia Lhor 1996) have shown that |
| the following health effects from VOC exposure: | | | | in offices with indoor plants ( as compared to offices |
| " | | | | without plants) worker productivity increases of up to |
| Acute | | | | 12% have been measured, and on average health |
| * Eye irritation / watering | | | | complaints related to sick building syndrome reduced |
| * Nose irritation | | | | by 20%. |
| * Throat irritation | | | | The above results have all been produced with healthy |
| * Headaches | | | | indoor plants. Whilst in a home situation it is feasible to |
| * Nausea / Vomiting | | | | adequately maintain indoor plants, this requires a |
| * Dizziness | | | | professional indoor plant hire service in an office |
| * Asthma exacerbation | | | | situation, where other duties take priority. The author |
| Chronic | | | | has seen many offices were the staff "looked after" |
| * Cancer | | | | the plants. In ninety nine per cent of these situations the |
| * Liver damage | | | | indoor plants were unsightly and as good as dead. This |
| * Kidney damage | | | | fact has been recognized by the Green Building |
| * Central Nervous System damage | | | | Council in Australia where, in order to gain 2 points |
| Most studies to date have been conducted on single | | | | under their Green Star rating system a two year |
| chemicals. Less is know about the health effects of | | | | professional maintenance scheme needs to be in |
| combined chemical exposure. The best health | | | | place. |
| protection measure is to limit your exposure to | | | | Good Indoor Plants for removing VOCs |
| products and materials that contain VOCs when | | | | The following is a list of the plants that recorded the |
| possible. If you think you may be having health | | | | highest VOC removal rating in Wolverton's tests. The |
| problems caused by VOC exposure consult an | | | | list only includes common plants used in the indoor plant |
| occupational/environmental health physician who | | | | hire industry. |