You have surely heard that indoor plants can purify the air in your home.
Good news, right?
Well, that would be great if that were true, but the reality is a bit more complicated than the tabloid headlines suggest.
This article will attempt to separate fact from fiction.
There is even evidence that indoor plants have a beneficial effect on pollution and oxygen levels in an enclosed environment. The concentration of a small amount of contaminants has been scientifically tested for 30 years to assess the impact of plants on the concentration of these dangerous chemicals.
However, this is unlikely to translate into any real benefits. This article explains why this is the case and also discusses some of the real benefits of having plants in your home.
What are the facts ?
Indoor air quality is increasingly recognized as an important factor in maintaining long-term health. Many factors can affect indoor air quality, such as the concentration of volatile organic compounds, temperature and humidity.
Volatile organic compounds in particular can negatively impact human health over time. Several studies have been conducted on the concentration of volatile organic compounds in indoor spaces.
A study published in the journal “Indoor Air” in 2011 analyzed the concentration of airborne chemical pollutants in several homes and found that 18 of 59 measured VOCs exceeded at least one of the recommended benchmark values.
This is a worrying fact.
Volatile organic compounds are released by various indoor furnishings such as carpets, sofas, and electrical equipment. There are several things you can do to reduce the concentration of VOCs in your home, including buying low-emitting products and making sure your home is well ventilated.
The use of plants as a means to reduce VOCs in indoor environments has been explored in over 44 published studies. The first study published by NASA, conducted by Wolverton et al, generated a lot of publicity and led to much more research in this area.
NASA study
NASA researchers have been able to show that a plant grown in the ground, in a closed environment, leads to a reduced level of benzene, trichlorethylene and formaldehyde in ambient air. However, when the leaves of the plant were removed, there was a similar reduction in the concentration of these chemicals.
When soil alone was used, there was a slight reduction in the concentration of benzene, trichlorethylene and formaldehyde. The results of this study suggest that roots and soil microorganisms, rather than foliage, are responsible for the greatest effect on VOC concentrations.
This initial study led to significant additional research to expand on these early findings. However, the list of VOCs that have been tested is still very small, which greatly limits the value of these studies in determining whether a long list of untested VOCs is affected by the presence of plants.
The mechanism by which plants extract VOCs from the air can be divided into four mechanisms.
- Elimination by the aerial part of the plant.
- Elimination by micro-organisms present in the soil
- root removal
- Elimination by culture media
There is still much uncertainty about the relative importance of each mechanism.
it all boils down to
Most studies to date have shown that plants can purify the air to some degree by reducing the concentration of a number of volatile organic compounds in the air. However, the speed at which they do so is totally insufficient to make a significant difference to indoor air quality.
Why don’t plants make a big difference in air quality?
There are two very good reasons why the results of this study are not applicable to the real world.
The first is that for most studies, the volume of plants and soil relative to the volume of air was much higher than would be practically achievable for most people in the home. It’s estimated that you would need one houseplant for every 10 square feet of your home to replicate NASA’s results in an airtight building.
However, the second and most important factor is that the air in your home changes several times a day. The total volume of air in an average home in the United States changes every 30 to 60 minutes, which means that any benefit plants provide to pollution levels is immediately lost when the air in a room changes and is replaced by outside air.
How do you make sure the air in your home is as clean as possible?
Okay, plants won’t really clean the air in my house, but what can you do?
For the vast majority of homes, the outdoor air will be significantly less polluted than the indoor air. This is due to the amount of furniture in an average home that emits volatile chemicals that negatively impact air quality.
One of the simplest things you can do is increase the ventilation in your home.
Sounds a bit too simple, I know.
However, opening windows and increasing the rate at which the air in your home changes can significantly improve indoor air quality. It can really improve your long-term health.
Honestly, if you live in a very cold climate, you might not want to open all the windows too much, but it’s worth keeping in mind.
Ventilation in the house is greatly reduced in the winter, as many of us close doors and windows and turn on the central heating. It may be worth putting on an extra layer of clothing and opening a window once in a while if it will have a positive impact on your health.
Clean house = clean air
Many pollutants in the air in your home come from your furniture. Whether it’s carpets, mattresses or curtains, many materials release potentially harmful volatile chemicals that can harm your health over time.
Likewise, when you walk into your home, you bring dirt and pollutants onto your shoes. By leaving your shoes at the door and regularly cleaning your upholstery and floors, you can significantly reduce pollutants in your home.
reduce humidity
Humid environments are a breeding ground for fungi, which can be particularly dangerous to health. Mold spores are easily carried in the air and can cause direct allergic effects on the respiratory tract and skin. Repairing leaks, ensuring good ventilation and possibly considering a dehumidifier are all good ways to reduce the impact of mold.
remove smoke from inside
Second-hand cigarette smoke contains thousands of dangerous volatile chemicals. If there is a smoker in your home, the biggest air quality improvement will be indoors by letting them smoke outside.
It’s not just smokers who can affect air quality. If you have an open fire, the volatile chemicals released by the fire can have a very serious negative impact on your health. You may want to consider heating your home in a different way or installing a closed gas fireplace.
For more information on how to improve your indoor air quality, check out this great article.
What are the benefits of indoor plants?
So if plants aren’t going to make the air in my house cleaner, do they really have any health benefits?
Plants can fight colds and sore throats.
Believe it or not, houseplants can reduce your risk of coughs, colds and sore throats and improve your energy levels. There have even been a number of studies that have measured the effect of herbs on improving your health.
A study in the United States compared surgical patients who had plants in their room with patients who did not have plants in their room. Surprisingly, patients who had plants in their room recovered faster and needed less pain relief than patients who did not have plants in their room.
Several studies have looked at workplaces and have shown that absenteeism decreases in offices where there are factories. Another study found that the incidence of symptoms such as coughs, colds, dry skin and headaches also decreased in workplaces with plants.
plants reduce noise
Plants play an important role in reducing indoor noise because they naturally absorb sound. If your home has a lot of hard surfaces, plants can be used to soften the surroundings and create a more acoustically pleasing environment. this will in turn lead to reduced stress levels through a more pleasant listening environment.
plants can make you happy
There are so many things about having plants in your home that can improve your sense of well-being. they look and smell nice, and the satisfaction we get from caring for a living thing can contribute to our level of happiness.
Believe it or not, people who have plants in their homes generally have lower blood pressure than those who don’t. the mechanism for this is unclear, but I definitely find having houseplants brings me good luck and lowers my stress levels, which is definitely part of why this is happening.
Plants help adjust humidity.
Plants are responsible for a large part of the humidification of the air around us.
In an enclosed space in your home, they play an even more crucial role. It is neither healthy nor comfortable to be in an environment that is too humid or too dry.
In general, it is recommended that you try to maintain your living environment between 40 and 60% relative humidity. If you live in a particularly dry place, plants can be used to naturally increase the humidity of your indoor environment and increase your comfort and health.
Greater concentration
It is likely that due to their positive influence on mental health, plants can increase your level of concentration. Adding a few plants to your indoor space can help you focus better or be more productive.
So now you know if plants are good for purifying the air in your home. Tell me what benefits your houseplants bring you in the comments section below.