(ORDO NEWS) — Houseplants are often thought of only as decorative items, but recent research shows that indoor plants can reduce levels of certain pollutants.
A study by the University of Birmingham, England found that ordinary houseplants can reduce nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels – a common pollutant – by as much as 20%.
While the biological process behind NO2 removal remains unclear, the researchers hope the findings will encourage people to buy more houseplants.
What plants purify the air
The team studied only three common houseplants: world lilies (Spathiphyllum wallisii), sweet-scented dracaena (Dracaena fragrans) and zamiokulkas (Zamioculcas zamiifolia).
Each plant was placed in a test chamber containing NO2 levels similar to an office located next to a busy road. Within an hour, the authors carried out careful monitoring.
The results showed that all three plants were able to remove about half of the NO2 in the chamber within an hour. This happened regardless of the environment, such as light levels or humidity.
Dr Christian Pfrang, who led the study, said: “The plants we selected were very different from each other, but they all showed strikingly similar abilities to remove NO2 from the atmosphere.
But this property is different from how houseplants absorb CO2. We established this in our previous work. This factor is strongly influenced by environmental factors.”
—
Online:
Contact us: [email protected]
Our Standards, Terms of Use: Standard Terms And Conditions.