I love gardening, but I make do with potted plants due to space constraints in the metropolitan city. These plants help me maintain the quality of air in my home and decorate the place. Houseplants provide much pleasure for city dwellers with a green thumb. I keep reading about the plants from Google and how to take care of them to keep them flourishing. All the plants which I have kept in my house are NASA recommended. Houseplants purify our house environment from various carcinogenic elements present here.
In 1989 NASA collaborated with Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA) and carried a clean air study that provided a detailed list of most useful plants for purifying indoor air. The harmful chemicals present in our house are benzene, ammonia, trichloroethane, formaldehyde, etc. I would like you to know about different pollutants present in our home sweet home. Most people do not know that they are staying with carcinogenic elements in their house.
Dear friends, now I will make you aware of the pollutants present in our house and their health effects. These are:
- Trichloroethylene Found in paints, varnishes, adhesives, etc. this may cause dizziness, headache, nausea, and vomiting.
- Formaldehyde Found in printing inks, paints, waxed papers, facial tissues, paper towels, plywood panelling, etc. Exposure to them causes: irritation to nose, mouth and throat, and in severe cases, swelling of the larynx of the lungs.
- Benzene used to make plastics, resins, lubricants, detergents, and drugs and found in tobacco smoke, glue, and furniture wax. Exposure to them leads to: irritation of eyes, drowsiness, increased heart rate, etc.
- Xylene Found in rubber, leather, tobacco smoke, and vehicle exhaust. Exposure to it may include: irritation to mouth and throat, dizziness, headach, confusion, heart problem, liver and kidney damage and coma.
- Ammonia Found in window cleaners, floor waxes, and fertilizers. Exposure to it may include: eye irritation, coughing, sore throat.
- Nitrogen Dioxide(NO2) Emissions from vehicles and factories during the burning of fuel produces NO2. It is high in Metropolitan Cities. This gas is responsible for causing specific damage to cardiovascular and respiratory system. It also causes airway inflammation in healthy individuals.
- Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) It is formed by the burning of fuels in industries and factories. Exposure to this gas leads in the irritation of the linings of lungs, throat, and nose, worsing the paients with existing respiratory diseases as asthma.
These pollutants can worry anyone of us, but don’t worry try to plant as many as plants you can according to NASA guidelines. Now I will provide list of 29 plants recommended by NASA. These are:
- Peace Lily This is most effective indoor plant in removing benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, ammonia, xylene. Care of this plant: Water only when upper layer becomes dry. Place this plant near window to get best bloom. 16 to 32 degree temperature is ideal for this plant.
- Chrysanthemum This is very effective outdoor plant in removing benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, ammonia from the air. Care of this plant: water less frequent. 5 to 45 degree temperature is suitable for this plant.
- English Ivy This is very effective indoor plant which removes benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene from air. Care: Less frequent watering, temp between 5 to 30 degrees.
- Snake Plant(Mother In Law’s Tongue) It is one of the most effective Indoor plant in removing benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene from air. Care less watering and temperature between 5 to 45 degrees Celcius.
- Red-Edged Dracaena or Dragon Tree This is also very good Indoor plant which effectively removes benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene from air. Care : less frequent watering and temp between 5 to 45 degrees Celsius is ideal.
- Bamboo Palm This indoor plant is also effective in cleaning benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene from air. Care This plant loves to grow under shade and moist condition. and water frequent, and temperature between 10 to 35 degree celcius.
- Money Plant This is most common Indoor House Plant which removes benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene from air. Care needs less water and temperature between 12 to 30 degrees Celsius.
- Flamingo Lily This Indoor Plant is effective in cleaning formaldehyde, ammonia, xylene. Care likes less water and temperature between 12 to 30 degrees Celsius.
- Janet Craig This Indoor Plant is effective in cleaning benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene. Care Less watering and temperature between 5 to 45 degrees celsius.
- Wernicke This Indoor Plant is effective in cleaning benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene from air. Care This plant requires less water and temperature between 5 to 45 degrees Celsius.
- Cornstalk Dracaena This indoor plant is effective in cleaning benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene from air. Care likes less water and temperature between 5 to 45 degrees Celsius.
- Barberton Daisy It is very popular Indoor flowering plants with diverse coloured shining-flowers. It is effective in cleaning benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene. Care needs less frequent water and temperature between 15 to 25 degrees Celsius.
- Aloe Vera It is an indoor succulent plant which has been used for medicinal purpose. It can grow anywhere. It is effective in cleaning benzene and formaldehyde. Care needs less frequent water and temperature between 15 to 45 degrees Celsius.
- Dwarf date palm It is an outdoor plant effective in cleaning formaldehyde, xylene. Care needs less frequent water and temperature between 10 to 45 degrees Celsius.
- Areca Palm It is one of the most popular indoor foliage houseplants which is effective in cleaning formaldehyde and xylene. Care needs less frequent water and temperature between 15,to 35 degrees Celsius.
- Boston Fern It is effective in removing formaldehyde, xylene, and airborne germs, molds, bacteria from the indoor air. Care Needs frequent water and temperature between 15 to 35 degrees Celsius.
- Kimberly Queen Fern It is an indoor plant effective in removing formaldehyde, xylene, and airborne germs, molds, bacteria from the indoor air. Care needs frequent water and temperature between 15 to 35 degrees Celsius.
- Spider Plant It is an indoor plant easy to care and fast growing effective in cleaning formaldehyde and xylene. Care needs less frequent water and temperature between 15 to 30 degrees Celsius.
- Chinese Evergreen It is an indoor plant easy to care and effective in cleaning benzene and formaldehyde. Care needs less frequent water and temperature between 15 to 30 degrees Celsius.
- Weeping Fig It is very common outdoor landscape plant. It can grow upto 30 feet in height. Its hardiness and adaptability makes it popular potted shade plants. It is effective in cleaning benzene and formaldehyde. Care needs less frequent water and full sun and temperature between 15 to 30 degrees Celsius.
- Heartleaf Philoderndron It is indoor plant which can be grown in your drawing room also. It is effective in cleaning formaldehyde. Care needs less frequent water and temperature between 15 to 35 degrees Celsius.
- Selloum Philoderndron It is an indoor plant which can survive in extremely low light is effective in cleaning formaldehyde. Care needs less water and temperature between 15 to 30 degrees Celsius.
- Elephant Ear Philoderndron It is an indoor plant can survive in extremely low light and effective in cleaning formaldehyde. You can easily put it in your room. Care needs less frequent water and temperature between 15 to 30 degrees Celsius.
- Rubber Plant It is an indoor plant effective in cleaning formaldehyde. Care needs less frequent water and temperature between 15 to 30 degrees Celsius.
- Dendrobium Orchids It is very popular indoor potted plant. It can adapt to different types of environment except for extreme hot or cold weather. It is effective in cleaning Xylene from the air. Care needs less frequent water and temperature between 15 to 30 degrees Celsius.
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- Dumb Canes It is an indoor plant effective in cleaning Xylene from the air. It can grow in shade and artificial light. You can keep this inside the room. Care needs less frequent water and temperature between 15 to 30 degrees Celsius.
- King of Hearts It is an indoor plant effective in cleaning Xylene. It can grow nicely in shade and artificial light. You can keep this inside your house. Care needs less frequent water and temperature between 15 to 30 degrees Celsius.
- Moth Orchids It is an indoor plant and very popular as it can adapt to different types of climate except extreme hot and cold weather. You can enhance the beauty of your drawing room by keeping potted orchids plant. It is effective in cleaning Xylene from air. Care needs less frequent water and temperature between 15 to 30 degrees Celsius.
- Banana It is an outdoor plant which loves full day sunlight and water. It is effective in cleaning formaldehyde from air. Care needs moderate water and temperature between 15 to 40 degrees Celsius.
From the list mentioned above you can choose the plants and clean the environment of your house and office. We should plant more trees as nature is truly a masterpiece with incredible beauty.
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