House plants liven up indoor spaces, and even feng shui professionals talk of their benefits. They have a more important function, however, than simply brightening up the space. Indoor plants can make a potentially toxic environment healthier and more livable.
Not Just Carbon Dioxide
In science class, we learned that plants absorb the carbon dioxide in the air and return pure oxygen back into the environment. This helps improve indoor air quality. Studies by NASA and various universities have proven that plants can filter a variety of other toxins out of the air, such as formaldehyde, which is contained in products from makeup to household cleaners, and benzene, which is contained in cigarette smoke, some plastics and even carpeting. These chemicals have a long history of contributing to diseases including asthma and certain types of cancer.
How They Do It
Phytoremediation is the name given to any use of plants to improve not only indoor air quality, but outside air quality as well. Plants not only absorb the gases through their leaves, but also through their stems. In addition, the soil that a plant grows in often contains nutrients that absorb the chemicals and neutralize them, making the gases harmless.
Wise placement and selection of house plants can provide an effective supplement to your home-wide strategy for improving indoor air quality. You’ll also want to make sure you’re using an efficient and clean air filter in your HVAC system, and seal air leaks in both ductwork and your home’s exterior shell.
For more information on providing the best possible air quality you can in your home or work environment, talk to the professionals at Marsh Heating & Air Conditioning. We will gladly help you find the solutions for your personal clean-air needs in the Twin Cities area.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about indoor air quality and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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