© Provided by Cover Media
If you like potted plants, you don’t need any proof to buy new ones.
But if you have never succumbed to the horticultural passion, wait until you have discovered the results of the work of researchers from the University of Birmingham and the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) published in Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health. You will understand the interest of introducing a little vegetation into your interior.
These researchers have discovered that simple potted plants can help reduce air pollution in homes and offices.
The team tested three houseplants commonly found in British homes: peace lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii), corn plant (Dracaena fragrans) and fern arum (Zamioculcas zamiifolia). After a series of experiments to control plant exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2), scientists reported that these three species may be able to reduce this common pollutant by 20%.
The researchers were amazed to find that plant performance did not depend on the environment, such as light or dark, or whether the soil was wet or dry. “The plants we chose were all very different from each other, but they all had surprisingly similar abilities to remove NO2 from the atmosphere. This is very different from how we have seen in our previous work how houseplants absorb CO2, which is highly dependent on environmental factors such as night or day, or the water content of the soil,” said the study’s lead researcher, Dr. Christian Pfrang.
“We don’t think plants use the same process as for CO2 uptake, in which the gas is taken up through stomata – tiny holes – in leaves. There is no evidence, even in longer experiments, that our plants released NO2 into the atmosphere. It is therefore likely that a biological process is also taking place in the soil where the plant grows, but we do not yet know what it is, ”clarified the researcher.
The team also looked at how plants might improve air quality in workspaces. Scientists calculated that five indoor plants, in a small, poorly ventilated office with high levels of air pollution, would reduce NO2 levels by around 20%. In a larger space, the effect would be lower (3.5%), but it might be increased by adding other plants.
So, at home and at the office, we welcome plants to breathe better!