OVER FIVE years ago the Na-
tional Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA), at its
John C. Stennis Space Center in
the state of Mississippi, began
evaluating the use of common
house plants alone, and in com-
bination with activated carbon,
for indoor air purification and
revitalization.

In 1988, due to the successful
nature of these studies, the
Associated Landscape Contractors
of America (ALCA) joined with
NASA in a two-year study to
evaluate a specific group of house
plants of special interest*to both
organizations. The jointly-funded
study evaluated 11 varieties of or-
namental plants to determine their
effectiveness in removal of at least
three priority pollutants which had
been implicated in many cases of
irritation and illness caused by in-
door pollution. The three were
formaldehyde, benzene and
trichloroethylene (TCE).

Preliminary results published in
early 1989 indicated that many of
the common indoor plants were
extremely efficient in cleansing
indoor atmospheres of these three,
and perhaps other, chemicals.
Such plants as English ivy, Janet

st

Plants clean indoor atmospheres efficiently

Craig dracaena, mass cane or corn
plant, peace lily, spider plant,
Dracaena marginata and gerbera
daisy all proved to be effective in
Tremoving or at least reducing the
level of a number of noxious gases
found in almost every home and
office building.

Generally, the presence of these
vapors in the air is known to be at
least a major part of the cause of
what is known as the sick building
syndrome.

Dr. B.C. Wolverton, who con-
ducted the original research and
continues to study the effect of
living plants on the environment,
says his tests clearly show the
benefits of a good supply of live
plants in a tightly controlled situa-
tion such as an energy-efficient
home or office. NASA's findings
certainly suggest that living plants
are important ingredients in im-
proving the air we breathe, not to
mention the esthetic benefits of
having beautiful plants and
flowers throughout the home or
work place. According to Dr.
Wolverton, as few as eight to 15
well-placed plants will significant-
ly improve the air quality in the
average home.

More recently, high levels of

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sul another chemical have been
found in office environments:
Xylene. It is found in paints,
carpet, linoleum tile, telephone
cable and other interior. products.
Dr. Wolverton expects to publish
his findings on the effects of
plants on this chemical! in the very
near future.

Meanwhile, the latest released
research work on the subject in-
volves three more common indoor
plants found to be effective com-
batants of air pollution. The new
plants added to the fist are the
flowering azalea, Dieffenbachia
(or dumb cane), and the
Christmas poinsettia. The azalea is
said to be one of nature’s most
diligent warriors against for-
maldehyde, which is found in vir-
tually all indoor environments.

Dr. Wolverton found that,
when maintained in a_ healthy
state, all three of these plants con-
tinuously cleaned the environment
around them. The cleansing oc-
curred under various conditions of
humidity, light and the amount of
toxic chemical to which the plant
was exposed.

Dr. Wolverton also found that
even the plant’s soil works to
clean the air. The most recent

report states: ‘It is important that
horticulturists recognize that the
Photosynthesis process taking
place in the plant leaves is only a
small part of the indoor air filter-
ing process of potted plants. The
plant leaves, roots, soil and
micro-organisms working together
in a symbiotic manner creates 2
complex ecosystem that can func-
tion in high light, low light and
dark conditions inside buildings.’’
One final note of interest to

those who know, or suspect, they
have problems with certain air
pollutants around the outside of
their homes. Dr. Wolverton is
currently working on a completely
new series of tests on a wide
variety of exterior landscape
plants. Already, preliminary data
from tests on the common privet
(Ligustrum) frequently used as a
hedge plant, has shown to be
quite promising.

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