We all spend a lot of time indoors. Unfortunately, the air isn’t always clean. Building materials, furnishings, and electronic equipment, among many other materials, are known to emit various volatile organic compound "toxicants" that have been linked to numerous health complaints. Leaching of trace chemicals can result in indoor air pollution, causing disease-like symptoms, even at very low concentrations. Buildings that have minimal natural ventilation contained higher levels of these toxicants, indicating that outdoor air is better.
But there’s good news. NASA conducted a study on the usefulness of plants as indoor air purifiers and found that the addition of a plant to indoor air reduced overall air toxicants, independent of what plant species. Some of the plant species reduced toxicants by over 80% in one day! Of the plants included Gerbera Daisy, Peace Lily, Chrysanthemums, Bamboo, and English Ivy had some of the highest purification abilities. And, a recent study shows that employees who work in an environment with indoor plants have greater satisfaction and productivity.
Bring a plant indoors and breathe deeper!