Vase plants are excellent decorative elements that embellish our homes, but perhaps not everyone knows that – in addition to absorbing carbon dioxide, releasing oxygen like all plants – they can also have a functional role, contributing to the purification of the internal environments, often subject to pollution, caused by volatile organic compounds (VOC, from English ORGANICS COMPOUNDS volatile) like formaldehydebenzene and toluene, present in paints, detergents and construction materials, but also by other compounds such as as how carbon monoxidenitrogen and ozone dioxide. Some house plants, such as Sansevieria And Spatifilloare able to absorb and neutralize these substances Through leaves, roots and thanks to the action of their microbiota. This process helps to improve air quality e Reduce health risks. According to studies carried out in the 1980s, the plants from NASA would reduce voc in closed environments up to 90%. Inserting plants in closed spaces is therefore a useful strategy to improve the air we breathe every day.
What are the plants to purify the air at home: the best
The role of plants in making the air of the internal environments less polluted was already known in the eighties, when the when the Nasa He performed experiments to discover new ways to make the air inside the ships less harmful to astronauts: according to their studies, the potted plants drastically decreased the quantities of voc inside sealed rooms, passing from 90% to 10% in 24 hours.
The search for NASA highlighted the most suitable plants in the fight against pollution of the internal environments, also highlighting which compounds were most suitable. Among these, the Sansevieria (Sansevieria three -fasciat ‘Laurentii’), also known as a “mother -in -law”, is excellent for freeing carbon monoxide and tricloroethylene and other voc, as well as Pothos (Epipremnum Aures).
The Spatifillo (Spathiphyllum SP.) Instead, together with Boston’s fern (Nephrolepis exaltata ‘Bostoniensis’), are useful against formaldehyde. Various species of Ficus, like the Ficus Benjamin who adorns many houses, the Phalanium (Chlorophytum commosum)also known as the “spider plant”, or the log of happiness (Dracaena Fragrans) have shown themselves allies in the removal of carbon monoxide.
Not least, also the Orchid They are part of the category of friendly plants to purify the air, especially for the removal of benzene, Toluene, Xylene.
How phytodepuration works
These plants allow to purify the air of our homes through different mechanisms that fall within the so -called phytodepurationa term that indicates the process through which the plants purify the surrounding air by helping to improve the quality of the internal air. Among the molecules that pollute the air of domestic environments we find, for example, of the called molecules VocEnglish acronym of ORGANIC COMPOUNDS volatileMeaning what compounds that evaporate easily and spread in the air of closed environments. Examples of voc can be the formaldehyde, or aromatic compounds containing benzene or Toulene. These substances can be emitted by numerous materials and products present in the house, such as paints or detergents; Or they can come from the outside and remain “trapped” within the walls of the house.
Some types of plants, such as the Sansevieria or it Spatifillothey are known to be able to purify the air that surrounds them, absorbing some polluting defects present in domestic environments, including also certain voc. For example, leaves and roots work like real filters which eliminate some of these molecules from the air- in other cases, however, the microorganisms that live on the surface of the plants (the so-called microbiota) feed on these compounds and metabolize them, transforming them into less harmful molecules for the human organism.
Pollution of internal environments
It is now known that the green areas urban – such as parks or private gardens – play a fundamental role to mitigate heat and improve air quality by reducing pollution and according to an academic article published on Dmpi (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute) Our homes also need the same treatment.
The study states that in industrialized cities, usually, The air of the internal environments is much more polluted than the external environmentespecially in the absence of air conditioning or any system capable of allowing air recirculation. Environmental pollution is represented not only by VOC but also by other contaminants such as carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (no2) or the ozone (or3). All these compounds are in concentrations from 5 to 10 higher times with respect to the outside, which represents a strong risk to health especially for the categories of more sedentary people, such as elderly people.
Obviously, this is a general speech and for each house there are several factors that can influence or not the concentration of pollutants in the air, such as the type of ventilation of the apartment or the position of the building.
