I came across a NASA study that shows how common plants help reduce indoor air pollution. That was pretty cool so I rushed out and bought 3 small plants for about 25$. They look cool on my desk and near the windows. Now I feel less “unnatural” and a bit more relaxed while I sit by the computer. But do they really filter out toxins, pollutants and carbon dioxide in your house or office?
The NASA Clean Air Study has been led by the NASA in association with the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA). Its results suggest that certain common indoor plants may provide a natural way of removing toxic agents such as benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene from the air, helping neutralize the effects of sick building syndrome.
Cool! But then I came across this article: Can House Plants Solve Indoor Air Quality Problems?. Sad but true John R. Girman (Chief of the Analysis Branch at EPA’s Indoor Air Division) has prepared a memo that details some shortcomings of the NASA study’s claims for the efficacy of plants. Girman’s memo responds to some of the technical issues presented by Snyder and other advocates of IAQ control with house plants.
The memo’s title is “Comment on the Use of Plants as a Means to Control Indoor Air Pollution”. Girman analyzes the notion that NASA research shows plants are effective at removing indoor air pollutants at realistic concentrations and time frames. He calculates that at the most favorable conditions, it would take 680 plants in a typical house to achieve the same pollutant removal rate Wolverton and his colleagues reported they achieved in the test chamber.
Final results are still unknown but one thing is for sure: plants are great for decoration and relaxation. I’ll get even more of them.
