Vadoud Niri Plants Research
According to Niri's research, common house plants are effective at removing VOCs from the air. In 12 hours, an unassuming bromeliad (a tropical plant with long, swordlike leaves and spiky red flowers) removed at least 80 percent of six different compounds from the air inside a 76-liter container (roughly the size of a sedan's gas tank).
Vadoud Niri Plants Research Reviews
Don’t have a green thumb or the desire/time to maintain houseplants? You may change your mind when you find out how many benefits they have for your family’s health.Here’s the lowdown on harmful VOCs and 5 easy-to-grow houseplants that’ll keep your air clean: Leaves of HealthWe know that through photosynthesis, plants release oxygen into the air. The leaves and roots of a plant work to give us cleaner air by removing low levels of carbon monoxide and formaldehyde. But what about the more dangerous pollutants like volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are lingering in the air from products that we use every day?
Many of us unknowingly contribute to the release of VOC gasses into our home by using cleaning products, nail polish remover, printers, dry-cleaned clothes, air fresheners, and even the new sofa we just bought, which all can contain harmful chemicals. VOCs and Your FamilySome cleaning products work well, but the odors are so strong you have to open a window to keep from passing out. What you’re smelling are VOCs being released into the air. Some common VOCs are acetone (nail polish remover, rubbing alcohol), benzene (furniture polish, liquid ant traps), formaldehyde (carpet, pressed wood products), 1.4-dichlorobenzene (air fresheners) and tetrachloroethene (dry-cleaned products, spot removers).Studies show that our homes can have three to five times more pollutants than outside. VOCs affect human health differently depending on the person’s age, health condition, and the level of exposure. Headaches, dizziness, drowsiness, eye and skin irritation, allergies, and asthma are some common symptoms of VOC exposure. Super Plants to the Rescue!Vadoud Niri and his team at State University of New York at Oswego conducted with various plants to find which species had a higher rate of VOC removal.
Vadoud Niri, a chemist at the State University of New York at Oswego, wanted to find an easy solution to a common problem everyone faces: air pollution. But Niri’s research (which is illustrated in a new video from the American Chemical Society) differs in that it compared various plants and looked at the rate of simultaneous removal of several VOCs. Niri points out, however, that his study was performed in a sealed chamber—not a real-life setting.
Five plants really stood out for absorbing common VOCs. The jade plant, spider plant, bromeliad, Caribbean tree cactus, and dracaena all were shown to help provide better air quality in our homes.
Vadoud Niri Plants Research Center
All five of these super plants were able to absorb acetone, but the dracaena took the gold for absorbing 94%. The bromeliad plant was the best VOC fighter. Of the 6 out of 8 VOCs studied, it absorbed 80% in a 12-hour period.
Fab FiveThe plants that rated top in VOC absorption aren’t rare. In fact, they’re fairly easy to grow in your home. Most plants are sold in shallow soil that quickly become nutrient starved. Once you get the plant home, replant it with fresh soil to give your plant fresh nutrients to get a healthy start. Plants, small children, and pets aren’t always a good combination. The jade and dracaena for example, are toxic to cats and dogs. If you have younger children, keep plants out of reach.
They may not be toxic, but could still cause vomiting if ingested.Jade PlantJade plants require minimal care. Replant it with all-purpose soil. With medium light for a few hours a day, it will grow to about 24 inches. Allow the soil to dry between watering. If you notice brown spots on the leaves or leaves dropping, it needs more water.
Note: It can be toxic to cats and dogs if ingested.Spider PlantThe stems of the spider plant extend to 12-18 inches and may produce tiny white flowers during the first summer it’s alive. The spider plant looks great in hanging baskets that are exposed to bright to moderate sunlight. It requires all-purpose soil and occasional watering in new plants. Once the plant is more mature, water more frequently, keeping the soil moist but not waterlogged.BromeliadThese plants prefer shallow pots and lighter potting soils with sphagnum moss. Place them in medium to bright light. Bromeliad plants have “cups” at the base of the leaves. This is the best place to water the plant.
If water collects in the saucer between watering, empty it out to protect against disease and insects. The colorful, showy part of the bromeliad doesn’t last long, but the pups at the base of the plant can be removed from the parent plant once they are matured. Just clip them and replant in another pot.Caribbean Tree CactusThe Caribbean Tree Cactus requires plenty of light so make sure to place it near a window that gets bright light for most of the day. A young cactus in a pot requires more watering than mature plants.
All-purpose soil with good drainage is key. Once the plant is established, it usually only needs watering once a month.DracaenaThis plant favors bright, filtered light, like what you get behind a sheer curtains on a window.
The dracaena requires all-purpose soil with good drainage. It’s fairly drought-resistance and doesn’t do well in soggy soil. If the soil feels slightly dry, give it a good watering and drain the saucer if necessary.What are some of your favorite houseplants, and how do you maintain them?
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If you want to bring in some more life to your office space or home, there is a very good and natural way to do thi s. Bring in some plant life to help clean your environment and purify the air that you breathe. Recent studies and research on plants and how they can be helpful to purify air have indicated that not all plants have the same purifying capacity. Certain plants seem to be working far better than others when it comes to cleaning the air. The studies were set up and led by Vadoud Niri, Ph.D., a well-known and leading California-based professor of chemistry.The majority of people are totally unaware that there are so many volatile organic compounds (or VOC’s) surrounding us in our living or working spaces. VOC’s surround us in our homes and offices due to paint, cigarette smoke, furniture, cleaning supplies, copiers & printers, or clothes that must be dry-cleaned.
All sorts of buildings, both old and new, are usually containing high levels of VOC’s, sometimes even to the extent that you smell them, says Niri.If you want to reduce the risk of serious and long-term health issues, take a look at what impact the following five plants may have on your office space or living quarters:1. Dracaena (Latin: Dracaena frangas)While all five plants described in this article showed pretty good results when it comes to removing acetone from the air (a chemical substance for example found in nail-polish remover), the Dracaena plant showed the best results. It absorbed no less than 94% of all these toxic gasses from the air in a 12-hour period. This was much higher than the other plants.2. Jade Plant (Latin: Crassula argentea)Jade plants are low-maintenance succulents that symbolize luck, money, and friendship.
These plants were highly effective when it comes to removing the toxic chemical toluene from the air. In a 12-hour study, the Jade plant removed 91% of this odorous chemical from the air which is usually found in stuff like paint thinner.3. Spider Plant (Latin: Chrolophytum comosum)Th wonderful Spider Plant was highly effective in removing toxic chemicals often found in rubber, ink, adhesives, varnishes, or paint. Over the same study of 12 hours, the spider plant had absorbed 93% of o-Xylenes, more than 90% of p-Xylenes, and more than 60% of Ethylbenzene from the air. These toxic substances thrive in practically all environments, so if you want a cleaner and healthier environment, consider getting a few of these wonderful plants!4. Bromeliad (Latin: Guzmania lingulata)The plant Bromeliad is related to the pineapple. The plant can be best used to remove benzene from your air.
Benzene is actually a very toxic gas that comes from cigarette smoke and motor vehicles exhausts. In the same study time, the bromeliad plant removed from the air not only more than 90% of benzene, but also over 80% of six other chemicals used in this study. This really makes the bromeliad a fantastic plant your office or living space.5. Caribbean Tree Cactus (Latin: Consolea falcata)If you like cacti, the Caribbean Tree Cactus is perfect for you. It is thriving very well in a lot of sunlight, and it produces beautiful tiny flowers. It was not as successful in removing chemicals from the air as the above-listed plants, but it still is still is highly effective if you want to purify the air that you breathe. The Caribbean Tree Cactus had removed some 80% acetone, ethylbenzene, and p-Xylenes, and just over 60% of o-Xylene, toluene, and benzene in the same studies.So these are great and interesting results!
Choose whichever of these five plants you like, you’re always good! These plants use what we call ‘Biofiltration’, and this process has been the subject of many studies since the 1980’s. Research has also been carried out by NASA which resulted in their own list of the useful Post Navigation.