One of the things that the COVID-19 pandemic brought home to many of us was the number of things that can be found in the air that we breathe. We became very aware of the importance of our air quality, and now more and more of us are taking steps to improve this. There are many things that can be done to help this, and many of them involve expensive equipment.

However, one thing has proven to be very successful in improving air quality has been the use of plants. In this article Ian Gregory, Managing Director of IAQ Services, takes a look at the impact that plants can have on air quality and the amazing way in which they do it.

Indoor air quality

Indoor air quality can be affected by a number of different things. Open doors and windows can mean that outdoor pollutants can seep in, whilst having a large number of people in a room such as a classroom can lead to them exhaling bugs and viruses out into the air.

There are also a number of different products and materials that we all have in our homes that are capable of releasing chemicals into the air that we can neither see nor smell.

All of these things combine within the air to produce a cocktail to breathe in that can be particularly harmful to us, and so it is important to try and find ways to improve the quality of the air in our homes and workplaces.

Photosynthesis

The role of photosynthesis in plants has long been understood, so it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that they are capable of improving the air that is around us. In the process of photosynthesis, the plants capture carbon dioxide from the air and use it alongside water and light energy to create glucose and oxygen which they then release back into the atmosphere.

At high levels, carbon dioxide has been found to create problems such as headaches, dizziness and nausea amongst other things. Whilst the process of photosynthesis will clearly have a positive effect on air quality, it remains to be seen how many plants a meaningful impact on the air inside a home would have, instead of inside a sealed container where most experiments are carried out.

Nitrogen dioxide

In addition to carbon dioxide, some studies have found that plants can also help to reduce the levels of nitrogen dioxide in the air as well. Nitrogen oxide is a common pollutant and is formed when fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas are burned at high temperatures, such as from a car or a central heating boiler.

In high levels, nitrogen dioxide can inflame the airways and impact on how well our lungs work, which is of particular concern to those who suffer from asthma and other respiratory diseases. It is therefore considered to be a greenhouse gas It was observed that in light conditions, common houseplants were able to remove measurable levels of nitrogen dioxide from the air.

Which plants are most effective at improving air quality?

In a study conducted on behalf of NASA, several ordinary houseplants were found to be extremely effective in improving air quality. Spider plants, philodendrons and golden Pothos were found to be extremely good at removing formaldehyde from the air. This is something which is found in a number of household products such as cosmetics, washing up liquid and fabric softeners and can cause eye, nose and throat irritations as well as skin rashes and lung problems.

Benzene, one of the major components of petrol, was removed most effectively by gerbera daisies and chrysanthemums. This particularly unpleasant substance can not only irritate the eyes, nose and throat, but can also be responsible for breathing difficulties, swelling of the airways, fluid build-up in the lungs, and neurological effects.

Peace lilies were also found to be great to have in the home, and for more than one reason. Not only could they also help to remove benzene and formaldehyde, they could also tackle the problems of ethylene oxide and ammonia. Ethylene oxide is commonly found in things such as antifreeze and detergents whilst ammonia is in many cleaning products and plastics. Exposure to both can be harmful, but ammonia in particular has the potential to kill.

In addition to this, peace lilies were found to have another function in the home, thanks to their ability to add oxygen to the air, making them the perfect natural air purifier.

Other methods of improving air quality

Many people have now resorted to things such as air purifiers and filters in air conditioning units to improve their indoor air quality. Whilst there is no doubt that these are effective, they can be expensive, and they can use a lot of electricity, which causes its own harm to the environment.

Alternatively, it could be much easier to simply open a window, however, this is not always possible for everyone. Those living in built up areas will more than likely find that their indoor air quality decreases when they start letting the smog filled air from outside in.

This is why plants are not proving a popular choice in improving air quality. They have the ability to work on a constant basis, gradually making a difference without costing the earth and without creating any emissions of their own. On top of this, they have also been found to have a positive impact on mental health, and many of them are great for brightening up the home at the same time as making it a healthier place to be.

Keeping the air around us as clean and pure as possible is incredibly important for our health. There have been a number of different studies into this over recent years, and they have produced some positive results. Whilst plants cannot do all of the work, they can play a large part in helping to improve our air quality in a constant and natural way, ensuring that the air that we breathe is at least a little bit better for us.