PLANTS ARE THE LUNGS OF THE EARTH  

Plants produce the oxygen that makes life possible, add precious moisture, and filter toxins. Houseplants can perform these essential functions in your home or office with the same efficiency as a rainforest in our biosphere.

A growing body of research shows that the ability of certain common houseplants to improve the quality of the air we breathe is now accepted scientific fact.

During research designed to create a breathable environment for a NASA lunar habitat, scientists discovered that particular houseplants not only produce oxygen, they are actually the best filters of common indoor air, removing and "cleansing" away toxic airborne particles.

Studies show that Americans spend ninety percent of their lives indoors. Yet modern scientific research indicates that the indoor environment may be as much as ten times more polluted than the outdoor environment. Pollutants (hundreds of poisonous chemicals such as formaldehyde) are released by furniture, carpets, and building materials, and then trapped by closed ventilation systems.

Currently our poor indoor air quality is a factor we simply ignore. We have blindly accepted our working conditions without questioning the effects of the presence of invisible microbes absorbed by our lungs as we are working and breathing all day long.

Dr. Wolverton's NASA research has documented proof that there is something we can do about this problem. Studies are being conducted around the world supporting his theory that by introducing certain plants to our indoor environment, fresh, pure air high in oxygen content is produced and the air is purified by their presence.

In a study published in the Mississippi Academy of Sciences Journal in 1996, researchers demonstrated that a room containing a large number of plants had 50 percent less airborne microbes than a similar room having no plants.

Dr. Tove Fjeld at the University of Agriculture ( Norway ) and Dr. Virginia Lohr at Washington State University have conducted extensive studies on the beneficial effects of plants in interior office spaces.

Studies by the U.S. Department of Agriculture have shown that high levels of negative air ions can significantly reduce the levels of bacteria in the air and on surfaces such as desks, walls, and furniture.

A recent study by Dr. Ryushi at Tokyo Metropolitan University , showed that negative air ions in a room without plants were low (150 to 200/cubic centimeters). However, when areca palms and peace lilies were added, the negative ion level increased to 1,000 per cubic centimeters in a 24-hour period.

CONCLUSION:

By introducing certain plants with high transpiration rates into our homes and workspaces and the addition of Full-Spectrum Lighting to insure their well-being (beneficial for people too!) we can significantly improve indoor air quality and reduce indoor air pollution.