Green and pleasant pot plants will work as natural air con
As winter bites and we wrap the house up tight; heating on full blast and windows closed to the cold gusts — we may feel protected from the elements. But are we really doing more harm than good?
Indoor air quality is a major factor in quality of health. Poorly circulated, dry, unreplenished air will cause you to suffer headaches, tired eyes, sore throats, blocked nasal passages, irritability and a whole host of symptoms more flu-like than the flu we’re trying to avoid.
There is a solution, however, and as we avoid compacting the lawn or making sludge of the garden at this time of year, we can still engage green fingers to achieve a better environment and to our wellbeing.
Simple everyday houseplants that are available everywhere from your local supermarket, to your nearest garden centre and DIY store, can radically improve your air quality and personal health.
Plants like the ubiquitous Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum), the neglect-tolerant Snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata), the elegant Reed palm (Chamaedorea sefritzii), the statement making Philodendron species, trendy Dracaenas (D. deremensis, marginata or fragrans) right through to the home décor staples of Figs (Ficus spp) and Peace lilies (Spathiphyllum spp) — all have attributes that contribute to a healthier home environment.
And any houseplant, let’s be honest, on a psychological level makes a room more grounded— not just tranquil but fresh. Our perception of greenery does it — but their replenishing attributes actually does it for real. It is a commonly known scientific fact that plants remove carbon dioxide from the air and replace it with oxygen, thus making the air better for us to breathe.
But houseplants do much more than a simple swap of gases during photosynthesis; they also remove toxins and energise people in their vicinity by their ionizing ability and their moisture regulation of the ambient atmosphere.
Back in the 1980’s a two-year study led by NASA and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA) confirmed that many houseplants had the ability to remove harmful elements such as formaldehyde, benzene, trichloroethylene and other common pollutants from the air.
Nasa’s involvement was primarily to develop systems to clean and replenish, breathable air and drinkable water on space stations or long flight space exploration.
ALCA, however, had seen commercial application in interior plantscaping to eradicate sick building syndrome and office worker absenteeism through the environmental stresses of newly constructed buildings, or mechanised air distribution systems.
The common pollutants that houseplants eliminate are a factor of modern living, every home has them to varying degrees — ammonia from some cleaning products; formaldehyde from upholstery and synthetic fibre carpets; trichloroethylene from some cleaning products, printers and photocopiers; and xylene from paints and adhesives. All of these elements are listed as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and are considered contributors to respiratory illness, fatigue, insomnia, cancer, mood imbalance and so on, down the list.
These VOCs ‘off-gas’ or slowly evaporate from furnishings and products within the home and over time, may cause a build-up of ambient vapour within your breathable air, while others just dissipate away within days or weeks.
But no matter what duration their lifespan within your home, any contact is detrimental to health. Short term exposure risks include rapid heart rate, headaches, dizziness, confusion, drowsiness, vomiting, convulsions, and unconsciousness.
The symptoms we tend to ignore include tired eyes, dry throat, nasal congestion, dry skin and irritability. We go on about being what we eat; well what we breathe is as important as what we swallow.
Good ventilation will naturally remove a fair chunk of these detrimental agents, but during winter, we are prone to sealing these vapours inside. A houseplant or two is a good investment.
Different species of plants are more effective in removing particular toxins so we can be specific and target plants to the environmental conditions of each room, or we can have a balance of houseplants throughout the house, replenishing and circulating clean air everywhere, rather than just the living space or home office.
The plants that do the business with toxic filtration are readily available — you may have some in your house already.
Dracaenas, Chrysanthemums and Gerbera daisies will help eliminate excess benzene; Areca palms, Orchids and Date palms (Phoenix spp) remove xylene and toluene, while indoor Azalea and the attractive Peacock plant (Calathea spp) extract ammonia.
The Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata), Peace lily and Rubber plants (Ficus spp) are all very effective at eliminating formaldehyde and trichloroethylene.
Apart from helping to remove toxins and increase oxygen, we should also remember that leaves catch dust and airborne particles generally lessening the opportunity for allergic reactions.
They also secrete phytochemicals from leaves and stems that can destroy harmful microorganisms. Plants have the opposite polarity to static electricity and so are a very positive effect on electric charges that sap human energy and concentration levels
Plants absorb excess moisture from the air or release moisture into drier air as part of their natural living processes (transpiration). Keeping the moisture balance of household air during winter is key to felling energetic and well. Greenery has a psychological benefit in stabilising mood, enabling calmness and improving concentration.
The subtle foliage and floral fragrances trigger deeper breathing, balancing the mood and inducing relaxation all of which will helps you to have better quality sleep, while during waking hours, anxiety is decreased and people tend to feel more positive with a sense of well-being.
So houseplants can be more than decoration. They can be a vital part of a well-balanced, functioning clean air system.
Few of the expensively installed air filtration systems in your home can claim the list of plus points that apply to plants; less static, less suspended dust, fewer allergens, more oxygen, more efficient heat and moisture regulation, lower bills, higher cognitive capacity and better concentration, better mood, the knowledge of a safer home and a healthier self.
If you have made a news resolution to get fitter, healthier or even happier — getting a houseplant is a perfect way to make a good start. Its only when you start naming them that you have a problem.
That reminds me — I think Lucy needs a bigger pot.
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