| Last week, I wrote about how certain chemicals, | | | | remove up to 90% of the chemical pollutants |
| called phthalates, that are in many common | | | | they were exposed too! Amazing. Another study |
| cosmetics and household products contribute to | | | | found that one small plant per 100 square feet of |
| poor indoor air quality. But phthalates aren't the | | | | house space will do the trick to filter out the |
| only offenders. Especially in the winter and hot | | | | majority of household pollutants. |
| summer, when houses are shut tight with indoor | | | | This spring, decorate your house with living, |
| air circulating and recirculating, the air in our houses | | | | "breathing", air filters. Plants can add a beautiful |
| can become very polluted from our toxic | | | | sense of life to even the dullest space. |
| household products, off-gassing of flame | | | | Additionally, consider planting edible vegetables |
| retardants from electronic products, and from the | | | | indoors. Small plants like carrots and tomatoes can |
| chemicals in new carpets, traditional paint and | | | | be grown easily indoors and can be dual purpose: |
| building materials, and from the foam and pressed | | | | filtering the air and providing food for your family. |
| wood used to make a lot of modern furniture. | | | | Quite a versatile offering from nature! This spring |
| Yet most of us would not be too keen on giving | | | | I can't wait to start adding plants to my house, |
| up our computers, and can't afford to replace all | | | | and to start an indoor herb garden. |
| our furniture, flooring, and other products. Of | | | | Top 10 Plants For Improving Air Quality: |
| course it's beneficial to make environmentally | | | | 1. Bamboo Palm |
| friendly choices when buying new products, but | | | | 2. Chinese Evergreen |
| there's another way to combat air pollution in our | | | | 3. English Ivy |
| homes. Houseplants! Houseplants absorb chemical | | | | 4. Gerbera Daisy |
| pollutants through their leaves. The roots contain | | | | 5. Janet Craig |
| bacteria that help break down the chemicals which | | | | 6. Marginata |
| the plants then use as nutrients. One study by | | | | 7. Mass Cane/Corn Plant |
| NASA exposed various plants to very high levels | | | | 8. Mother-in-law's Tongue |
| of pollutants inside a sealed chamber. In a 24 hour | | | | 9. Pot Mum |
| period, the most effective plants were found to | | | | 10. |