Friendly house plants

House plants have always been a popular and stylish addition to homes and offices, but did you realize that plants also remove toxic chemicals? Research has proved that plants are vital to a healthy indoor environment and will help reduce 'sick building syndrome'.
Indoor pollution is now considered by many experts to be one of the major threats to health. How does the earth produce and sustain clean air? The answer of course is through the living processes of plants. As ever-increasing numbers of the population becomes concerned about the direct correlation between the indoor environment and their health, the 'green revolution' will continue to spread.
Symptoms associated with indoor pollution include allergies, asthma, eye, nose and throat irritations, fatigue, headache, nervous-system disorders, respiratory congestion and sinus trouble. In tests these symptoms are experienced by a high proportion of those living and working in particular parts of buildings. While standard analysis can detect no cause, when the building occupants are away from the area for a given time, the symptoms usually diminish, only to recur on re-entry into the building. It is reported that up to 30 per cent of new and remodeled buildings have indoor air quality problems. The three primary sources of poor indoor air quality are
hermetically sealed buildings and their synthetic furnishings,
reduced ventilation,
human bioeffluents,
Some of the common emissions include formaldehyde, benzene, ammonia, alcohols, acetone, carbon dioxide and many other bioeffluents. Some of the sources of these emissions include humans, adhesives, carpeting, cleaning products, wall coverings, photocopiers, upholstery, paints, printers, cosmetics, varnishes, floor coverings, office correction fluid, nail polish etc.
We all enjoy the comforts and conveniences of living in this modern age, but we should also take reasonable measures to protect our health and well-being. Use products that give off lower emissions, allow furnishings to off-gas before being installed and include house plants in the design of your office or room. The inclusion of plants will mimic the way that nature cleans the earth's atmosphere.
Plants supply many human needs from their use as food, medicines, energy, building materials to the oxygen they supply. They add beauty to a room, but also make it a friendly , inviting place to live or work. Plants are known to have a calming and spiritual effect on most people, they play an important role at key stages of our lives, such as weddings, funerals, periods of illness and birthdays. The following is a list of house plants that have been tested for their ecological benefits. The plants listed first have the greatest value at removing chemical vapours, the plants at the end of the list have a lower value. Not all species of plants have been tested, some plants are more efficient at removing specific chemical emissions.
Areca Palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens)
Lady Palm (Rhopis excelsa)
Bamboo Palm (Chamaedora seifrizii)
Rubber Plant (Ficus robusta)
Dracaena deremensis 'Janet Craig'
English Ivy (Hedera helix)
Date Palm (Phoenix roebelenii)
Ficus macleilandii 'Alii'
Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata)
Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum species)
Dracaena fragrans
Scindapsus aureus
Dracaena marginata
Red Emerald Philodendron (Philodendron erubescens)
Syngonium podophyllum
Dieffenbachia
Parlour Palm (Chamaedorea elegans)
Weeping Fig (Ficus benjamina)
Schefflera
Lace Tree Philodendron (Philodendron selloum)
Philodendron scandens
Sanservera trifasciata
Philodendron tuxla
Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria beterophylla)
Homalomena wallisii
Prayer Plant (Maranta)
Banana (Musa)
Cissus rombifolia
Turf Lily (Lirope spicata)
Spider Plant (Chlorophytum)
Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema crispum 'Silver Queen')
Anthurium andraeanum
Codiaeum variegatum pictum
Calathea makoyana
Aloe vera the medicinal plant