by Staff Writer Angela Xiong
June 11th, 2020
Pollution levels on the planet earth are skyrocketing. If you live in a busy, dense city, you encounter pollution every day. It wreaks havoc on our skin, our hair, and most of all, the air we breathe. However, pollution resides not only in the outdoors. It’s has crept its way into the places we call ‘work’ and ‘home’. You may be wondering “what exactly is indoor pollution”? Indoor pollution is usually a consequence of ototoxic emissions from artificial building materials, mobile mildew, viruses, and pollutants, together with energy economical construction, like creating areas as airtight as attainable, that reduces the air circulation. These contributors unharness poisonous substance emissions like benzol, methanal, ethylene, and dissolving agents. Whilst indoor pollution is seemingly unheard of, it has the potential to do some serious damage. Sudden allergies; irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat; headache, dizziness, and fatigue; respiratory and sinus congestion; and nervous system disorders are direct repercussions of indoor pollution. A deep-rooted predicament such as this must require a relentless and strenuous remedy right? No. The answer is surprisingly simple. House plants.
Breathing Benefits
When you breathe, your body takes in Oxygen and releases it as Co2, Carbon Dioxide. Plants, on the contrary, absorb Carbon Dioxide and release it as Oxygen through a process called Photosynthesis. This opposite but dependent pattern exhibited by humans and plants makes us natural partners. Housing plants to your living quarters can and will easily increase oxygen levels allow you to have a restful sleep and energized day.
Improving Health
Mental, physical, and emotional. These three prime aspects all play a hefty role in your general health. When one is thrown off, the other two seem to always be affected in a hazardous way. How can one boost morale, and promote mental, physical, and emotional health effectively and comfortably? Studies have shown that employees who work in offices with plants tend to feel better about their jobs, worry less, and take fewer sick days. In addition, according to Scientific America, patients in hospital rooms with plants and flowers had significantly more positive physiologic responses evidenced by lower systolic blood pressure, and lower ratings of pain, anxiety, and fatigue than patients in the control room. Some therapists even use gardening to help treat depression, schizophrenia, and other psychiatric conditions. Learning to nurture a living plant may help lower anxiety, improve attention, and lessen the severity of depression. Plants also might help people recovering from trauma, as well as those with dementia or who live in long-term care facilities. Flowers and house plants are evidently a wonderful pick-me-up. With newly installed greenery in your home, let’s see how your outlook changes towards the world.
Air Purifiers
Paint, carpet, printer inks, plastic bags, and many other unexpected household items all emit a pollutant called volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs include substances like formaldehyde (present in rugs, vinyl, and cigarette smoke ), benzene, and trichloroethylene (both found in man-made fibers, inks, solvents, and paint). Our modern air-tight living compartments tend to trap VOC inside. VOCs often are direct causes for irritated eyes, asthma, or difficulty breathing within one’s home. However, NASA Research discovered that plants can purify that trapped air by pulling contaminants into soil, where root zone microorganisms convert VOCs into food for the plant. These plants are often regarded as ‘air-scrubbers’, a worthy name for the considerably crucial jobs they perform!
With an abundant variety of houseplants comes a difficult decision to be made. Which house plant is best for me? Below is a list of a couple of the highest recommended plants for indoor use!
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