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How Indoor Plants Clean Indoor Air

Introductionfrom the Australian Department of the
People have worked indoors for manyEnvironment, which gives details on the
centuries, but it is only in the lastVOCs indoors and their health effects.
few decades that the indoor environmentJohn Bergs in a study in the Netherlands
is generally totally sealed, airfound that health complaints by office
conditioned, and filled with syntheticworkers have been on the increase since
materials that can out gas chemicalsthe seventies, and found that on average
into the air. These chemicals calledsome 35% of office workers are
VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, candissatisfied with the interior
have concentrations several times higherenvironment and 20% suffer from health
then that present in outdoor city air,complaints such as eye complaints and
and are recognized as having anose and throat irritations. In the same
deleterious effect on the health ofstudy he showed the benefits that can
people working in this environment.accrue from having indoor plants in the
Over the last twenty years it has becomeoffice.
recognized that indoor plants have theIt is well to remember that indoor air
ability to remove these VOCs from thecould be found to be under the control
indoor air, or at least substantiallyof the employer and as such the employer
reduce their concentration.may have responsibilities and potential
This article out lines the health effectliabilities.
thought to be caused by these VOCs inIndoor Plant Hire Benefits.
indoor air, and looks at the researchOver the last twenty years, it has been
behind the removal of these compoundsproven that healthy indoor plants, as
using indoor plants. As the mostused in indoor plant hire, have the
effective way to keep plants healthy inability to remove VOCs from the indoor
offices is indoor plant hire, it isair. Research has shown that the system
suggested that indoor plant hire is thein action is the biological interaction
preferred option of maintaining plantsbetween the plant roots and the potting
in offices.mix, enhancing micro organisms present
Air quality inside officesto "eat up" the VOCs. Further more;
The use of synthetic building materials,their appetite seems to increase with
printers, computers, cleaners andincreased exposure to VOCs.
personal care products, combined withAs early as 1980, Dr. Wolverton working
the practice of air conditioningfor the NASA space program discovered
buildings, has resulted in the build upthat indoor plants could remove VOCs
of chemicals called volatile organicfrom sealed test chambers. This was part
compounds in buildings. Below are someof a NASA study into clean air inside
building materials and the chemical theyclosed life support systems.
exude:In 1990 Dr. Wolverton in association
Adhesives, ceiling tiles, paints,with the Plants for Clean Air Council in
printers Benzene, Toluene, Ethyl Benzenethe U.S. tested fifty indoor plants for
and Xylene.their ability to remove various VOCs
Photocopiers, particle boardfrom sealed test chambers. These finding
Formaldehydewere published in Dr. Wolverton's book
It will be shown later in this article"ECO friendly house plants", published
that the indoor plants used in indoorin 1996.
plant hire can remove the aboveA lot of recent research on the subject
chemicals.has been carried out by Ronald Wood and
Amongst other contaminants, over 300Associate Professor Margaret Burchett
VOCs have been found in office airfrom the U.T.S. in Sydney. Research in
(Weshler Shields 1996) as well as othertest chambers, progressed to experiments
toxic gasses such as nitrogen oxide andin real office situations in Sydney, and
carbon monoxide (Ross 1996).the results were published in their
Frequently no single pollutant havingpaper entitled "The potted plant
toxic potential is present in unhealthymicrocosm substantially reduces indoor
amounts, yet combined they form part ofair VOC pollution: 1. Office field
a chemical soup, which when combinedstudy" February 1996. Some of the
with ozone can produce hydroxyl radicalsconclusions were:
(Weshler 1996).Where indoor TVOC load was above 100
In Australia the CSRIO can sample airparts per billion, indoor plants reduced
within buildings and is able to measurethe level by up to 70%
a large range of potential pollutants.Reducing the number of plants per test
Health effects of VOC exposurelocation did not reduce the VOC levels
Research in Europe and the U.S. showsremoved, pointing to increased activity
that most people in cities spend 90% ofby the micro organisms.
their time indoors (Hodgson, Mann andResearch in Europe ( John Bergs and Tove
Cavello 1997), and productivity lossesFjeld) and the United States (Virginia
of up to 6% have been shown in buildingsLhor 1996) have shown that in offices
where the indoor air quality is poor.with indoor plants ( as compared to
The Minnesota Department of Health inoffices without plants) worker
the U.S. lists the following healthproductivity increases of up to 12% have
effects from VOC exposure:been measured, and on average health
"complaints related to sick building
Acutesyndrome reduced by 20%.
* Eye irritation / wateringThe above results have all been produced
* Nose irritationwith healthy indoor plants. Whilst in a
* Throat irritationhome situation it is feasible to
* Headachesadequately maintain indoor plants, this
* Nausea / Vomitingrequires a professional indoor plant
* Dizzinesshire service in an office situation,
* Asthma exacerbationwhere other duties take priority. The
Chronicauthor has seen many offices were the
* Cancerstaff "looked after" the plants. In
* Liver damageninety nine per cent of these situations
* Kidney damagethe indoor plants were unsightly and as
* Central Nervous System damagegood as dead. This fact has been
Most studies to date have been conductedrecognized by the Green Building Council
on single chemicals. Less is know aboutin Australia where, in order to gain 2
the health effects of combined chemicalpoints under their Green Star rating
exposure. The best health protectionsystem a two year professional
measure is to limit your exposure tomaintenance scheme needs to be in place.
products and materials that contain VOCsGood Indoor Plants for removing VOCs
when possible. If you think you may beThe following is a list of the plants
having health problems caused by VOCthat recorded the highest VOC removal
exposure consult an occupationalrating in Wolverton's tests. The list
environmental health physician whoonly includes common plants used in the
specializes in this area "indoor plant hire industry.
The following link is to a Fact Sheet



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