10 Must Have Air Purifying Indoor Plants

on Aug 13, 2020 0 comments

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, we spend about 90% of our time indoors, whether sleeping, watching TV, or working in an office, and during COVID-19 pandemics most of us are spending 100% of our time indoors. But have you ever thought about the air inside our home? I am sure the answer would be NO. However, indoor air can also be highly polluted & toxic. Lately, air purifiers have become a very popular appliance for purifying indoor air but they are expensive, use electricity, and are not the most eco-friendly option. However, Indoor plants are nominal, Eco-friendly and it will add a serene element to the house. So we must add more indoor plants that purify the air in our home

Many of us believe that while staying indoors, they are free of any sort of toxic air exposure. We know, New Delhi is the world’s most polluted capital city and 21 other Indian cities are also among the world’s 30 most polluted cities, which is caused generally by vehicles, industrial emissions, dust from building sites, smoke from the burning of rubbish and crop residue in nearby fields.

Causes of Indoor Poor Air Quality

Combustion Sources: Combustion is the process of burning coal, wood, and any other thing used in a fireplace setting. It releases harmful byproducts such as carbon monoxide and particulate matter into the indoor environment.
Chemicals and particulates: Chemicals are the root cause of indoor air pollution. Those chemicals are emitted by furniture, paint, household cleaners, disinfectant particulates.
Central heating and cooling systems and humidification devices.
Poor ventilation: It plays a catalytic role to make air quality bad.
Mold and Excess moisture: leaking taps and stagnant water in the house need to be fixed as soon as possible.

Impact of Indoor Air pollution on Health

Formaldehyde irritates the nose, mouth, and throat.
Benzene irritates eyes, drowsiness, dizziness, an increase in heart rate, headaches, and confusion.
Trichloroethylene causes dizziness, headache, nausea, and vomiting

Natural Strategies of air purification

Spend some time outdoors

The best way to keep yourself healthy and active is to spend some time outdoors in the fresh air. The quality of outside air is better than the indoor static air:

Controlling the source of pollutants

Try not to smoke indoors
Use Eco-friendly fireplaces replacing the burning of wood
Clean your house as much as possible
Do not use artificial cleaners, get an eco-friendly one
Do not use area rugs and carpets as much as possible because dust particles mostly accumulate in carpet rapidly
Avoid using coal-burning heaters in winters that increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the environment

Proper Ventilation

Ventilation permits the outer air to come inside and throw away the toxic air outside. Circulation of air is necessary to maintain good air quality.

Maintenance of house

Householders should spend some time in the maintenance of equipment which is used to keep indoor air clean. Clean the developing mold in wet areas of the house. Proper changing of HVAC filters from time to time is necessary. Leaky taps should be fixed.

Awareness

Be mindful and aware of the cleanliness in the house like remove your shoes outside or just inside the main door so that dust particles could not come inside. If using carpets and rugs then a regular vacuum is needed.

Indoor Plants

As per the studies of NASA, the pollutants mentioned above could be removed with indoor plants. They have researched the 50 types of plants that can be used as air purifiers. Plants are natural air purifiers that absorb harmful toxins and generate oxygen There are plenty of options in the market to buy those plants which reduce the air pollutants.