30/03/2022
How Plants Clean The Air
The three toxins included in the NASA study are benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene (TCE), and these volatile organic compounds are virtually everywhere. Benzene is in glues, paints, furniture wax, and detergents. Formaldehyde is in composite wood products such as plywood, as well as in building materials and insulation, glues, permanent press fabrics, paints, coatings, lacquers, finishes, as well as paper products. Trichloroethylene is in cleaning wipes, aerosol cleaning products, paint removers, spray adhesives, carpet cleaners, and spot removers.
The study looked at how the leaves, roots, soil, and associated microorganisms of plants reduce indoor air pollutants. It found that the plant root zone plays the biggest role. For your indoor plants, it means that the more plant roots and soil area are exposed to air, the better the plant purifies the air. In other words, larger pots or containers with a bigger soil surface are better than smaller ones.
