Not everyone shares my enthusiasm for houseplants but most everyone will agree that they are extremely beneficial in more ways than one. They are also some of the hardest working residents in your home, carrying on their responsibilities silently around the clock, each and every day. For their many efforts, they demand very little in return; some decent lighting, a little water, comfortable temperatures and an occasional meal. Not too much to ask for.

And what do they do exactly? Many things. They have a positive effect on your mood, help decrease stress levels, reduce headaches, improve productivity in the work place, at home and in schools, help us recover faster from illnesses, improve our overall attitude and instill a sense of calm. On a larger scale, which includes vegetation both indoors and out, plants provide us with the oxygen we breathe and the food we eat.

Indoor plants play an important role in interior decoration for homes, offices and commercial buildings, brightening up the rooms they reside in with their spectacular foliage and mesmerizing flowers. They add beauty and a friendly, inviting ambiance to any indoor and outdoor space. It is not surprising how much of an important role they play in our daily lives with their almost spiritual effect on us, even taking part in some of our most important events: births, deaths, weddings, hospital stays, housewarmings, birthday celebrations, romantic communications and so on.

What’s more, they are a much needed and welcome reminder of spring during the greyest and dreariest of winter days. Caring for houseplants is a relaxing and pleasurable hobby, not only during the coldest months of the year, but all year round. For active gardeners who are forced to stay indoors during the long winter months - deprived of a gratifying recreation – houseplants provide them with a rewarding ‘green thumb’ alternative. As creatures with an instinctive desire to nurture, living plants fulfill that need when we tend to them. There is no doubt that we feel much more relaxed and motivated when we are surrounded by living green. One can argue that there is a mystifying therapeutic ingredient inherent in plants that we are fortunate to have available to us.

As you can see, there are a multitude of benefits – psychological and physiological - derived from our botanical friends sharing the earth (and our homes) with us. And in addition to all the important functions mentioned above, plants also carry out one of the most fundamental tasks: they purify our air.


Every Breath You Take

In a typical lifespan, there is a lot of inhaling and exhaling going on – hundreds of millions of breaths worth – and that alone should remind us of just how important clean air is to our general wellbeing. If you are one of many that never give indoor pollution a second thought, consider this:

• 1 of 3 new or remodeled buildings may have poor indoor air quality
• poor air quality leaves you lethargic and mentally foggy
• the air inside may actually be more polluted than the air outdoors
• indoor air pollution can cause health ailments such as asthma & allergies
• indoor air pollution causes eye, nose & throat irritation, dry cough, dizziness nausea, headaches, fatigue, sensitivity to odors and dry/itchy skin – all negative symptoms experienced while spending time in buildings with no specific illness, just poor air quality. The term now applied to these adverse health situations is Sick Building Syndrome (SBS).

This is a colorless gas with an irritating and overpowering sharp odor. Perhaps you remember getting a whiff of this disinfectant and preservative from your high school or college days. It was the substance used to marinate the specimen you were expected to dissect in your science class. How could I forget those rats?!

Many products inside your home contain this chemical, releasing small amounts of it into the air you breathe. Such as: curtains, foam insulation, wallpaper, fabric softeners, paper products, facial tissues, paper towels, bed sheets, glues, cosmetics, dishwashing liquids, plywood, adhesives, latex paints, waxed paper, furniture, carpeting, clothes, household cleaners, lacquers, shoe care agents... There is no way to completely avoid this chemical; it’s released from almost everything inside a building, from ceiling to floor, walls included.

Formaldehyde is a known sensitizer and irritant that with repeated exposure – and depending on levels of exposure - can cause breathing difficulties, memory or concentration problems, nausea, dizziness, burning of the eyes or nose, dry or sore throat, coughing & wheezing, nosebleeds, fatigue, watery eyes, skin rashes and headaches. Higher concentrations do have the ability to trigger asthma attacks in certain individuals and also trigger allergies. It has also been shown to cause cancer in animals and can cause cancer in humans in very high levels of exposure. This is not a very nice chemical to be overly exposed to therefore it’s a good idea to lower your exposure to it as much as possible.


Benzene

Also known as benzol, this is a colorless to light yellow, highly flammable, highly toxic and sweet smelling liquid. The most common exposure to this hydrocarbon is from breathing it since it evaporates easily and very quickly into the air. It is poisonous when ingested or inhaled and can also be found in very small amounts in certain foods and contaminated drinking water. Although poorly absorbed through the skin, it can enter your body this way.

Benzene can be found in gasoline, adhesives, household cleaning products, oils, paints, paint strippers, tobacco smoke, glue, furniture wax, rubber, synthetic fibers, plastics, inks, detergents, some art supplies... It has been classified as a human carcinogen; a substance or agent that promotes cancer.
Prolonged exposure to this chemical in low concentrations has been known to cause headaches, psychological problems, dizziness, vomiting, loss of appetite, drowsiness, anemia, and eye and skin irritations. One of the major consequences that can result from continuing contact is to the blood. Benzene can bring about anemia by damaging the bone marrow and causing red blood cells to decrease.

Exposure to high levels of benzene through breathing or eating affects the central nervous system and can cause vomiting, stomach irritation, paralysis, convulsions, sleepiness, rapid heart rate, tightness of the chest, rapid breathing, tremors, dizziness, coma, confusion, unconsciousness and even death. Long term chronic exposure to this carcinogen can cause leukemia. It has also been linked to birth defects in animals and humans. This is indeed a very bad chemical.


Trichloroethylene

Colourless, nonflammable with a sweet-smelling, chloroform-like odor and a sweet, burning taste, this long and hard to pronounce liquid is mainly used as a solvent to remove grease from metal parts. It is also used in dry cleaning and in the manufacturing of paint strippers, paints, pesticides and waxes.

Trichloroethylene can be found in many household products such as typewriter correction fluids (‘white out’), adhesive glues, paint and varnish removers, inks, thinners, varnishes, automotive chemicals, specialty cleaning and sanitation products, sheet vinyl flooring, aerosol paints, laundry aids and spot removers...
Short-term exposure to trichloroethylene can cause loss of coordination, drowsiness, dizziness, headaches, and nose and throat irritation. When it is inhaled, it depresses the central nervous system almost in the same manner as alcohol intoxication. Initial contact produces symptoms such as a headache, dizziness and confusion and if the exposure progressively increases, it can lead to unconsciousness and death.

High concentrations have been known to cause reduced eyesight, irregular heartbeat, liver and lung damage, coma and numbness and facial pain. Since trichloroethylene has poor warning signals, desensitizing the nose to its scent rapidly, caution should be exercised wherever you suspect trichloroethylene may be present. You can be inhaling lethal amounts of this vapor unknowingly.


The Botanical Warriors – Not Just Another Pretty Face

Thankfully, most poisons, pollutants and chemicals in our homes are at levels that don’t kill us – at least not right away! But indoor exposure to these toxins can and will make us sick. There is no reason on earth to succumb helplessly to the negative effects of these substances nor is there any need to run out and purchase pricey man-made air cleaners.

You don’t need fancy devices. Nature has already provided you with one of the most effective warriors against pollution - houseplants. They’re not just another pretty face; they are the quickest and most effective filters for some of the most common, dangerous air pollutants. They will absorb hazardous chemicals and particles from the air and recycle them into a healthier substance.

The most wonderful news of all about Mother Nature’s air purifiers is that the plants in question are commonly available and extremely affordable. You’ll have no trouble finding them in a local greenhouse or retail store selling houseplants and racing home with them to start cleaning your air and decorating your environment. It is estimated that 15 – 20 plants in 6 – 8 inch containers can help purify the interior of an 1,800 square foot home (assuming that it’s a typical house with 8 to 9 foot ceilings). Even if you don’t want to invest in that many plants, both for monetary reasons and the effort required to care for them, remember that a little greenery is better than no greenery at all.

Houseplants don’t just look good, they work hard. They combat toxins effortlessly, daily, reducing significant health threats. Through their stomata – tiny openings in their leaves – they draw in detrimental pollutants and transmit them to their roots. Once the toxins reach their designated destination, they are then transformed into a source of food for the plant. That bad air is then redistributed as oxygen – fresh, clean air.


Many Green Solutions For Each Source

To a certain extent, all plants are beneficial through photosynthesis, especially when it comes to replenishing oxygen levels while reducing carbon dioxide and low levels of carbon monoxide. There are specific plants, however, that are a cut above the rest at combating air pollutants. Below are the common indoor toxins once more but beside them you will now see a green solution.


The Problem: Formaldehyde
The Green Solution:
Azalea, Boston Fern, Dieffenbachia, Philodendron, Chrysanthemum, Poinsettia, Bamboo Palm, Dracaena Deremensis (Janet Craig), Sansevieria (Mother-in-law's tongue), Dracaena Marginata. Chlorophytum Comosum (Spider plant), Golden Pothos, Dracaena Fragrans (Corn Plant), Spathiphyllum (Peace Lily), Ficus Trees


The Problem: Benzene
The Green Solution:
Gerbera Daisy, Spathiphyllum (Peace Lily), Bamboo Palm, Dracaena Warneckei, English Ivy, Sansevieria (Mother-in-law's tongue), Dracaena Marginata, Dracaena Deremensis (Janet Craig), Chrysanthemum


The Problem: Trichloroethylene
The Green Solution:
Gerbera Daisy, Chrysanthemum, Spathiphyllum (Peace Lily), Dracaena Warneckei, Dracaena Marginata, Dracaena Deremensis (Janet Craig), Bamboo Palm


The warriors listed above are generally easy to care for. Water carefully (or switch to hydroculture and never worry about how much to water), feed them only when necessary and make sure that you provide them with an ideal level of the most essential element – light. You might consider treating them to a little Mozart or Beethoven now and then – I prefer a little Aerosmith or Led Zeppelin myself.

Now that your leafy friends are settled and happy, go ahead and inhale; your beautiful houseplants are working hard to keep you healthy in exchange for room and board.

Breathe right, breathe easy

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