What will we breathe in the years to come?
Soon after the Delhi Smog incident, there was a massive surge in the air purifying equipment sale and advertisements. Amongst all the chaos certain organizations brought up a list of plants that had the potential to filter the air and combat health hazards. Well, in such a worsened situation how much of this was true? Could plants purify the air? Well, research by NASA, and Kamal Meattle in TED talk assure of the same.
Kamal Meattle in his TED talk video (2009) implied that he was able to produce clean, fresh air for one human for a whole day with a combination of three plant types. The three plants he mentioned were the Areca Palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens), the Mother-In-Law Tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata), and the Money plant (Epipremnum aureum). In the 50,000 sq ft building 1,200 plants of waist or shoulder height were added, i.e., one plant for every 41 sq ft, or one plant per 10′ x 4′ area.
What does the video imply?
- Plants purify the air by removing formaldehyde and VOCs (volatile organic compounds).
- Plants produce fresh air.
- Plants have reduced the incidence of several medical issues by improving the quality of air.
- The government of India published a study verifying these facts.
Now that you know what the researchers say, let’s look at the three wonder plants and the way they function:
1. The Areca Palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens)
The Areca Palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens) is a popular indoor plant known to purify the indoor air by removing all the harmful toxins. Commonly available, the plant is safe to grow if you have pets and kids in the house.
How does Areca Palm purify the air? Well, the plant absorbs CO2 from the air and converts it into oxygen. In addition to this, it lowers the carbon dioxide levels, and eliminates certain pollutants from the air, thus producing fresh and clean air indoors. According to Kamal Meattle, 4 plants up to shoulder height are sufficient for one person.
The Areca palm thrives well in filtered light and needs frequent watering. Buy Areca palm plant online.
2. Mother-In-Law Tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata)
The mother-in-law tongue, Snake Plant or Sansevieria is known as one of the best air purifying plants. Like Areca Palm, Sansevieria filters the air and converts CO2 to oxygen. The plant performs this process only at night.
Since the plant produces oxygen at night, it is known as "The Bedroom Plant". Research by NASA concluded that this particular plant removed Benzene from the air and works in great combination with Areca Palm and Money Plant.
The Snake plant thrives well in full sunlight to partial shade and does not need frequent watering. According to Kamal Meattle, six to eight waist high Snake Plants are sufficient. ASPCA has declared the plant toxic to pets. Buy Sansevieria Moonshine and Sansevieria Golden Hahnii online.
3. Money Plant (Epipremnum aureum)
The Money Plant not only eliminates the synthetic elements in the air, but it is also known to combat stress, anxiety, and sleeping disorders. Various plant are varieties termed as Money Plant, hence mention the scientific name when you wish to purchase this particular variant.
NASA along with many other researchers have verified the plant’s ability to detoxify the air. In the three plants combo suggested by Kamal Meattle in his TED talk, this removes most of the air pollutants.
Money Plant grows well in medium, indirect sunlight and needs regular watering. ASPCA has declared the plant toxic to cats, dogs, and children. Thus, keep it away from pets and children.
Buy Money Plant Green, Money Plant Variegated, Money Plant N Joy online in India.
What makes these plants Budget Friendly Air Purifiers?
Air purifiers are priced Rs.6500/-. Available in an extensive range, these mechanical devices are like an investment. Plants, on the other hand, add greenery indoors and purify the air at the same time.
They do not ask for a huge chunk of investment and are sure to clean the air in the most natural way. Secondly, you can add as many plants to your surroundings as you please, while getting air purifiers at your beck and call won’t be easy. You may like to know 10 plants that purify the air.
References:
https://www.ted.com/talks/kamal_meattle_on_how_to_grow_your_own_fresh_air
http://wondergressive.com/three-plant-fresh-air-system/
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0579/7924/0580/t/18/assets/NASA_Clean_Air_Study?v=1661878384
https://www.today.com/home/3-indoor-plants-actually-clean-air-t100828
