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NASA Study Shows
Plants Clean the Air
Who's affected? EPA studies show indoor air pollutants
can be 20 to 100 times the level of outdoor air pollution! High levels of indoor pollutants can effect every office environment.
Where Do Toxins Come From?
Newly built or recently renovated
buildings are especially toxic, as paint, carpets, and furniture all exude large amounts of chemicals. So do copiers and cleaning supplies. Very high levels of these fumes can be detected for up to a year in a new
building.
Tightly sealed buildings, made to be efficient at heating and cooling, can re-circulate toxic fumes. As these levels increase, the tenants experience respiratory complaints - sore throats,
coughing, difficulty breathing. Headaches and more frequent colds are also reported.
How Do They Do It?
NASA researcher Dr. Wolverton conducted tests on plants in sealed chambers with a variety
of common indoor pollutants. He found that in a period of hours, all the tested indoor plants dramatically reduced the levels of at least one toxin.
Further research showed that the root zone is the area
where toxins are absorbed, and turned into nutrients used by the plants. Increasing the soil volume increases the plant's rate of absorption. Plants even get more efficient at cleaning the air, rather than being
harmed by the fumes.
What Pollutants?
Dr. Wolverton has tested the following major indoor pollutants:
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