Air Quality by Flora Vance
"SCRUB THE (Indoor) AIR WITH PLANTS"
From National Garden Club's "Keeping In Touch" Publication July/August 2020
With the current “stay at home” guidelines from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), improving indoor air quality is a higher priority. This article describes the events from the 70’s and 80’s that contributed to poor indoor quality, those products currently used that release toxins and the most effective plants to “scrub” the air and make it healthier.
Remember the Energy Crisis of the ‘70’s? For those of us who lived in a highly populated area in the US, we may have waited in line to get gas up to 30 minutes. And, in some cases, the gas stations didn’t even have gas. Well, our reaction to that Energy Crisis required that we not only needed fuel- efficient automobiles, we also needed “fuel-efficient” homes. Bottom line, we needed to save energy! As conscientious citizens, we bought those homes that had highly reliable insulation and double-paned windows and doors. We also updated our older homes with these same energy-saving products.
New construction builders also answered the call with well built, “air-tight” buildings to save energy. As this went on for a few years, we managed to corral many volatile organic chemicals (VOC’s) inside our buildings. In 1989, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported to Congress that our public buildings contained over 900 VOC’s. Outside air did help; but it was not always clean air. According to another research finding, the last breath of clean air was experienced in Flagstaff, AZ in the 60’s. Additionally, the weather doesn’t always allow us to open doors and windows. The heating and air conditioning manufacturers did address the VOC’s with some air purifiers, but they weren’t able to go far enough.
The National Space and Aeronautical Association (NASA) chartered a team to do research to compare chemical presence with and without plants. Those results provide the sources of VOC’s and the plants most effective at eliminating them. It also defined what could be done to build an environmentally-friendly building. As we visit, live, or work in one of those buildings, the difference is obvious. They remind us of greenhouses. They usually appear to be all glass, including the ceilings and walls. This provides the natural light for the plants, regardless of their sizes. It provides a calming environment for humans. Healthy plants look so perfect, they appear to be fake. Each floor is a showplace of beautiful plants.
What’s causing the toxins in our homes today? They are carpeting, caulking compounds, ceiling tiles, draperies, varnishes, upholstery; most of the products used to construct, furnish, operate and maintain our homes or any other building. Today, there are more than 80,000 synthetic chemicals in use.
Generally, the highest emissions are in new products, but still present at lower levels as they age. Formaldehyde is the most common air pollutant. It’s a colorless gas with a pungent irritating odor. Most cleaning products and cosmetics have some level of toxins. In a recent study, seven of the most toxic materials in our homes were uncovered:
1. Antimicrobial chemical triclosan found in many antibacterial soaps, body washes, toothpaste and some cosmetics.
2. Flame retardants is the most harmful polybrominated diphenyl.
3. Teflon pans, at least some of the earlier ones, have harmful chemicals.
4. BPA used to harden plastics for food storage.
5. Vinyl shower curtains.
6. Formaldehyde used in pressed woods, foam insulation, wallpaper and paint.
7. Synthetic pesticides.
Top Air “Scrubbers”
What can we do to remove indoor toxins? The NASA research identified 50 houseplants that purify our homes and offices. Some example are: Areca Palm, Lady palm, Bamboo Palm, Boston Fern, Rubber Plant, Philodendron and Peace Lily. See figure below for more examples.
The number of plants needed to clean the air depends on the amount of synthetic materials in a room. The EPA criteria specifies 2 palms (or equivalent) for 100 cubic feet.
Remember the Energy Crisis of the ‘70’s? For those of us who lived in a highly populated area in the US, we may have waited in line to get gas up to 30 minutes. And, in some cases, the gas stations didn’t even have gas. Well, our reaction to that Energy Crisis required that we not only needed fuel- efficient automobiles, we also needed “fuel-efficient” homes. Bottom line, we needed to save energy! As conscientious citizens, we bought those homes that had highly reliable insulation and double-paned windows and doors. We also updated our older homes with these same energy-saving products.
New construction builders also answered the call with well built, “air-tight” buildings to save energy. As this went on for a few years, we managed to corral many volatile organic chemicals (VOC’s) inside our buildings. In 1989, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported to Congress that our public buildings contained over 900 VOC’s. Outside air did help; but it was not always clean air. According to another research finding, the last breath of clean air was experienced in Flagstaff, AZ in the 60’s. Additionally, the weather doesn’t always allow us to open doors and windows. The heating and air conditioning manufacturers did address the VOC’s with some air purifiers, but they weren’t able to go far enough.
The National Space and Aeronautical Association (NASA) chartered a team to do research to compare chemical presence with and without plants. Those results provide the sources of VOC’s and the plants most effective at eliminating them. It also defined what could be done to build an environmentally-friendly building. As we visit, live, or work in one of those buildings, the difference is obvious. They remind us of greenhouses. They usually appear to be all glass, including the ceilings and walls. This provides the natural light for the plants, regardless of their sizes. It provides a calming environment for humans. Healthy plants look so perfect, they appear to be fake. Each floor is a showplace of beautiful plants.
What’s causing the toxins in our homes today? They are carpeting, caulking compounds, ceiling tiles, draperies, varnishes, upholstery; most of the products used to construct, furnish, operate and maintain our homes or any other building. Today, there are more than 80,000 synthetic chemicals in use.
Generally, the highest emissions are in new products, but still present at lower levels as they age. Formaldehyde is the most common air pollutant. It’s a colorless gas with a pungent irritating odor. Most cleaning products and cosmetics have some level of toxins. In a recent study, seven of the most toxic materials in our homes were uncovered:
1. Antimicrobial chemical triclosan found in many antibacterial soaps, body washes, toothpaste and some cosmetics.
2. Flame retardants is the most harmful polybrominated diphenyl.
3. Teflon pans, at least some of the earlier ones, have harmful chemicals.
4. BPA used to harden plastics for food storage.
5. Vinyl shower curtains.
6. Formaldehyde used in pressed woods, foam insulation, wallpaper and paint.
7. Synthetic pesticides.
Top Air “Scrubbers”
What can we do to remove indoor toxins? The NASA research identified 50 houseplants that purify our homes and offices. Some example are: Areca Palm, Lady palm, Bamboo Palm, Boston Fern, Rubber Plant, Philodendron and Peace Lily. See figure below for more examples.
The number of plants needed to clean the air depends on the amount of synthetic materials in a room. The EPA criteria specifies 2 palms (or equivalent) for 100 cubic feet.
