Inside Urban Green

Can Common Plants Eliminate Indoor Air Pollutants?

Even if published by the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) I have trouble with these studies that purport to prove that top-watered plants in clay pots really do clean toxins from indoor air. I know how to grow plants in a glass jar, but I don't live in one.

I am able to test and prove many things about growing plants inside buildings but this is not one of them. You're on your own. Is it junk science or real science?

Source: ashs.org

During the research study, plants were grown in a shade house for eight weeks followed be acclimatization for twelve weeks under indoor conditions before being placed in gas-tight glass jars. The plants were exposed to benzene, TCE, toluene, octane, and alpha-pinene, and air samples were analyzed. The plants were then classified as superior, intermediate, and poor, according to their ability to remove VOCs.

Of the 28 species tested, Hemigraphis alternata (purple waffle plant), Hedera helix (English ivy), Hoya carnosa (variegated wax plant), and Asparagus densiflorus (Asparagus fern) had the highest removal rates for all of the VOCs introduced. Tradescantia pallida (Purple heart plant) was rated superior for its ability to remove four of the VOCs.

And in conclusion...

The study concluded that simply introducing common ornamental plants into indoor spaces has the potential to significantly improve the quality of indoor air. In addition to the obvious health benefits for consumers, the increased use of indoor plants in both ‘‘green’’ and traditional buildings could have a tremendous positive impact on the ornamental plant industry by increasing customer demand and sales.

From the Design World: Air Cleaning Living Wall Idea

It isn't going to work very well with Ivy (Hedera) but it could with Pothos (Scindapsus). The design needs work but worthwhile pursuing in my opinion. It's a lot better use of creative design time than most of the "green gadgets" I see from the design/lifestyle blogs. Most of them have no relevancy to plant science and the realities of maintaining plants inside buildings.

Source: student.designawards.com.au

Via: Home Tone

Product Description and Principal Function(s)

Elements of Nature is an air purification system designed to work with an indoor plant (ivy). It`s mesh surface allows ivy to grow over itself naturally make every product unique for its user. It is a customizable system that can provide for the needs of specific users.

Elements of Nature combines the power of nature with manmade technologies to achieve the best results possible. it is a functional solution that is also environmentally aware. Its water based filtering mechanism avoids use of disposable metal and carbon based filters. Elements of nature is a better way to clean your air.

Houseplant Air Purifiying Claim

There are better ways to sell indoor plants other then making claims that can be construed as medical advice. In my view it is irresponsible marketing based largely on junk science. Read this post from the EPA and you can make up your own mind.

via www.logees.com

Sansevieria cylindrica “Cylindrical Snake Plant”

This low maintenance, exotic-looking succulent thrives in home environments. In fact, it’s one of the recommended plants to filter out indoor toxins, especially formaldehyde-based pollutants found in carpeting, furniture, cleaners and foam insulation. Sansevieria cylindrical (also called “Spear Sansevieria”) is an easy-to-grow ornamental plant that only requires watering once or twice a month. Each round, smooth, grayish-green leaf is 1.5” thick with dark green stripes and a pointed terminal end. The stiff leaves grow upright in a fan-shaped pattern and reach 2-5’ in height. Allow to dry out between waterings.

Hardy to Zone 10 and higher for outdoors.

Full or partial sun, grows to 2-3' in container, minimum temperature indoors 40°, blooms in summer.

Easy Grower!

Indoor Air Pollution: An Introduction for Health Professionals by the U.S. EPA

There is no bigger booster of indoor plants and urban greenscaping. I’ve devoted half my life to promoting this field in one way or another. What really disturbs me however is the distortion of fact that is used by many to promote the use of common, ordinary houseplants in drain hole pots.

Have you ever read this EPA document on the subject of Indoor Air Pollution? Note that the document is co-sponsored by The American Lung Association (ALA), The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), and The American Medical Association (AMA). You probably haven't read it simply because neither the mainstream media, the USDA Cooperative Extension Program nor the blogosphere ever references it.

I see either an article or blog post almost every day about the "ten plants to clean (or purify) the air in your home" or some such statement. In many cases, it is presented as medical advice. The people who write this stuff are essentially clueless about their free "medical advice" that is in reality a potentially harmful misstatement of fact. Some might even call it medical malpractice.

This is what the EPA and co-sponsors have to say about indoor houseplants.

A New Plant Based Air Purifier Available on Amazon

ANDREA plant based air filter and scale figure

Sub-irrigation naturally

Update: December 17, 2009 - The ANDREA is temporarily out of stock and two negative reviews were deleted. That's probably fair because the reviews were not based on actual user experience. I didn't know however that Amazon would edit and remove comments/reviews. Interesting!

There is a new plant related appliance available from Amazon.com. The ANDREA plant based air filter joins aeroponic gardens AeroGarden and Prepara, sub-irrigated planter EarthBox and composter NatureMill.

When the ANDREA design, then known as the Bel-Air was first blogged back in 2007, I viewed it as yet another “green gadget” that would never come to market. How wrong I was.

Notice the similarities to retired NASA scientist Bill Wolverton’s patented EcoPlanter marketed in Japan only. A company named Phytofilter Technologies in upstate New York now has the marketing rights in the U.S. but I doubt we will see it on Amazon any time soon. But who knows, I was wrong about the ANDREA.

The French made ANDREA could make it in the U.S. market but I have significant doubts. The European consumer market is far more accepting of plant technology than the market here in the U.S. Historically our embedded clay pot, drain hole culture has fiercely resisted modernity.

Plant Room is Part of an Air Cleaning System

This video helps to clear up the misunderstanding created by the widespread publication of the Kamal Meattle TED conference presentation.  

This plant room is part of an air cleaning system in the Paharpur Business Center (PBC) in Delhi, India. Along with the plant room, the system includes an air washer and duct filtration. 

As you can see the plants are not scattered throughout the building as one might incorrectly assume from the slide presentation. They are not employee personal plants. 

Grouping a large quantity of plants (over 1,200 in this case) in one location creates the ability to remove a significant amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the indoor air. 

A living plant wall is another way of doing this. Canada has been a leader in this technology. 

See this prior post. 

Air Cleaning Indoor Plants

TED stands for Technology, Education, Design. It has become a very popular conference bringing speakers together from these three worlds. The following slide presentation is from one of the talks at the recent TED in California. 

How to Grow Your Own Fresh Air - TED 2009 Talk

View more presentations from jaymeattle. (tags: plants greenhouse)

Kamal Meattle, is founder and CEO of the Paharpur Business Centre (PBC) in Delhi, India. Many of the TED talks are available online as videos. Unfortunately, this is not one of them. A video of Mr. Meattle's talk might have been more explanatory. It is a great story.

Unfortunately, this slide presentation inadvertently led to widespread misinformation in the media and blogosphere. There is a good message in the presentation but the conclusion drawn by the media is incorrect. 

No Plants LEED Green Hotel

This CEO leads a tour of his LEED rated green hotel demonstrating solar panels, waterless urinals, low flush toilets, low flow faucets, low VOC materials …but no green plants in sight. 

How did we arrive at the situation where a green building may or may not have green plants? If it does have plants, they likely did not add any points to the LEED rating. 

What if there was a sub-irrigated grow box vegetable garden on the roof. You can't get any more local than fresh food on the roof. Would an edible roof garden add LEED credits to a building? 

In my view, this is an absurd situation and reflects once again on our weak horticultural education. Educators are still preaching arcane drench and drain watering methods that are hardly green. The practices they encourage are from the dark ages. 

There is little question however, that sub-irrigated plants are green. They can help clean the air and make buildings more livable while saving water. Dr. Bill Wolverton's NASA research demonstrated this.  

Sub-irrigated plants also require significantly less maintenance by reducing the number of plant care service visits. This reduces vehicle use and saves gas. 

It is a puzzle why the interior plantscaping industry is not publicizing the green business practices that many (but not all) of its members use. That would help immensely in convincing the Green Building Council to include points for plants in the LEED rating system. 

It is important to understand that green plants by themselves are not necessarily green. It depends on how they are maintained. 

Totally Out of Touch with the Natural World

Mark Lennihan/Associated Press

The photo is from an article about Citigroup in the NY Times today. It immediately grabbed my attention. 

Never mind the lobby. This is where the plants are needed! There is a need here...and a business opportunity for a green business and green collar jobs. In this digital age we have millions of people working in environments like this. 

As a fellow digit head, I also work in front of a flat screen monitor. However, I'm not out of touch with the natural world like they are because there are many plants in the room including one right by my monitor. It's a little Ficus tree just like these growing in a recycled pop bottle planter. 

Every one of these people could (and should) have a small personal plant in their work area. Even without light meter readings, my professional opinion is that low light tolerant plants in sub-irrigation planters (pop bottle?) would survive quite nicely.

 

It would be even more beneficial to have the plants growing in expanded clay pebbles (hydroculture). They would then be effective in making a contribution to cleaner, better air quality. Many of the plants in my space are growing in pebbles. It's easy to accomplish. 

I see this as yet another testimony to the "backward farmer" horticultural education in this country. Whether we're talking about decorative or edible plants, we have a major lack of grassroots knowledge about some very simple technology. 

A country that doesn't understand which direction to water a plant in a container has some obvious education problems.

St. Gabriel's Passionist Parish in Toronto

St. Gabriel's Passionist Parish, originally uploaded by Scott Norsworthy.

Having been an interior plantscaper, I find this most impressive. The majority of vertical interior gardens I've found in North America (if not all) are in Canada. Note that this is a LEED rated green building.

Where is the leadership in the U.S. market for projects like this? I haven't found it.