Plants have been proven to remove airborne harmful contaminants.
Most people spend the majority of time indoors at home or work. Air conditioning, improved insulation, and energy-saving all reduce air exchange in buildings, so we breathe the same air again and again. Because the modern internal environment is virtually hermetically sealed and the construction materials used, modern synthetic furnishings, computers, electrical equipment, and everyday household products such as cleaning material, can produce harmful substances that are trapped inside the building. These all contribute to the well recognised "sick building syndrome". Polluted indoor air, contaminated by volatile organic compounds (VOCs), are a major cause of headaches, nausea, sore & itchy eyes, loss of concentration and other "sick building" symptoms. The simple addition of interior plants is a natural way to help remove these pollutants significantly.
When humidity levels are too low, individuals are more likely to develop viral infections; when humidity is too high, vulnerability to other disease increases. Plants tend to control humidity to within the optimum range for human health.
This obviously reduces your carbon footprint but also the increased oxygen level refreshes the air -and you! - leading to increased concentration and productivity (in various studies between 10%-15% increase).
There is a wealth of scientific study into the beneficial effects of live plants in the interior environment including a large NASA programme. For more detail of this and other independent research refer to:
Other Benefits of Interior Plants
As well as purifying the air we breathe the presence of indoor plants have also been shown to have many other beneficial effects including;
Increased positive feelings and reduced feelings of anxiety, anger and sadness.
Reduction of sound levels
Reduction of stress levels
Cooling effect
Improved concentration levels leading to improved productivity particularly with those working with computers
Reduction of absenteeism in the workplace
Faster recovery from mental tiredness
Interiors feel spacious, looked after and clean
People prefer to occupy rooms that contain plants
Improved image - interiors are perceived as "more expensive"
