Urban indoor air quality (IAQ) is an international health issue, since city dwellers spend 90% of their
time indoors. Research by a number of authors is reviewed here, demonstrating a range of capacities
of indoor plants to improve IAQ and promote occupant wellbeing. Our laboratory studies, with nine
‘indoor plant’ species, and our ‘field’ studies in 60 offices, show that potted-plants can reliably reduce
total volatile organic compound (TVOC) loads, a major class of indoor pollutants, by 75%, to below
100 ppb. They work equally well with or without air-conditioning, and in light or dark. An evaluation of
these studies is presented, plus novel research showing that potted-plants can also remove indoor CO
and, sometimes, CO2. The evidence overall clearly shows that the potted-plant microcosm represents
an innovative technology for solving indoor air pollution, which can otherwise cause a range of adverse
health effects, including ‘building-related illness’. This portable, flexible, attractive, low-cost technology
can complement any engineering measures and can be used in any building. To ensure sustainability
of the urban environment, satisfying the ‘triple bottom line’ of environmental, social and economic
considerations, indoor plants can be expected to become standard technology for improving IAQ - a
vital building installation element.
Urban indoor air quality (IAQ) is an international health issue, since city dwellers spend 90% of theirtime indoors. Research by a number of authors is reviewed here, demonstrating a range of capacitiesof indoor plants to improve IAQ and promote occupant wellbeing. Our laboratory studies, with nine‘indoor plant’ species, and our ‘field’ studies in 60 offices, show that potted-plants can reliably reducetotal volatile organic compound (TVOC) loads, a major class of indoor pollutants, by 75%, to below100 ppb. They work equally well with or without air-conditioning, and in light or dark. An evaluation ofthese studies is presented, plus novel research showing that potted-plants can also remove indoor COand, sometimes, CO2. The evidence overall clearly shows that the potted-plant microcosm representsan innovative technology for solving indoor air pollution, which can otherwise cause a range of adversehealth effects, including ‘building-related illness’. This portable, flexible, attractive, low-cost technologycan complement any engineering measures and can be used in any building. To ensure sustainabilityof the urban environment, satisfying the ‘triple bottom line’ of environmental, social and economicconsiderations, indoor plants can be expected to become standard technology for improving IAQ - avital building installation element.
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