The ‘Secret’ to Improved Indoor Air Quality

A while back NASA got together with ALCA and conducted a study to see if houseplants could help improve indoor air quality (IAQ).

NASA was interested because it was looking for ways to purify the air in space stations. But the study turned out to have some more down-to-earth applications.

The 2-year study revealed that common houseplants not only brighten the environment in homes and workplaces but also have the ability to cleanse indoor air and remove harmful pollutants.

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How Does It Work?

Because of the focus on energy conservation, our buildings have been getting tighter and tighter, allowing less and less air exchange. This can result in something called "Sick Building Syndrome," in which pollutants get trapped inside the building and sometimes make people sick.

Among the chief concerns are three pollutants—formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene. These hazardous substances are used in building materials, cleaning products, paint, adhesives, varnishes, and oils. And all these materials are found in homes and workplaces across the country.

So, plants to the rescue. But how could a little houseplant get rid of these nasty, dangerous air contaminants when sophisticated, powerful HVAC systems can’t seem to manage the job?

The answer is simple. To survive, houseplants use a process called photosynthesis to produce food from carbon dioxide and hydrogen, using energy from light absorbed by chlorophyll in the plant’s leaves. Carbon dioxide and hydrogen, of course, are readily available in air. And because houseplants are so good at absorbing these gases, they also absorb other gases at the same time. And goodbye harmful indoor air pollutants!

As a result of photosynthesis, plants do us another big favor. Photosynthesis releases a waste product that we need to survive—oxygen. So having plants around not only removes pollutants, it also refreshes indoor air with regular infusions of oxygen. 

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Best Plants for Improving IAQ

According to the NASA/ALCA study, the best plants for purifying indoor air are all readily available at your garden center and include such common houseplants as:

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  Heartleaf philodendron (Philodendron scandens "oxycardium")
• Elephant ear philodendron (Philodendron domesticum)
• Cornstalk dracaena (Dracaena fragrans "Massangeana")
• English ivy (Hedera helix)
• Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
• Janet Craig dracaena (Dracaena deremensis "Janet Craig")
• Warneck dracaena (Dracaena deremensis "Warneckii")
• Weeping fig (Ficus benjamina)
• Golden pothos (Epipiremnum aureum)
• Peace lily (Spathiphyllum "Mauna Loa")
• Selloum philodendron (Philodendron selloum)
• Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema modestum)
• Bamboo or reed palm (Chamaedorea sefritzii)
• Snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata)
• Red-edged dracaena (Dracaena marginata)

The study also found that some houseplants were better at removing specific pollutants than others. For example, bamboo palm, peace lily, golden pathos, red-edged dracaena, and spider plant were good at filtering out formaldehyde. Peace lily, English ivy, and bamboo palm worked best for removing benzene from indoor air. And peace lily and bamboo palm worked well for filtering trichloroethylene.

While these plants are beneficial, there are some things you definitely don’t want growing in your workplace—like mold. Tomorrow, we’ll provide an overview of mold hazards and prevention, and tell you how you can train your workforce to help you control workplace mold problems.

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