Tackling Indoor Air Pollution

Tackling Indoor Air Pollution through

Phytoremidiation (plants)🎋🌴

We usually hear a lot about pollution precisely air pollution in the months of october - december, and people in Delhi do crib a lot about this matter, why won't they crib as air pollution is a big source of many respiratory diseases to heart diseases, cancer, etc.

Some stats related to the fatalities because of poor Indoor Air Quality

It sounds scary when you get to know that around 4.3 million people die worldwide due to poor air quality prevailing inside the houses, around 3.8 million premature deaths occur annually from non-communicable diseases including ischaemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer are all attributed to exposure to household air pollution, as per reports from WHO.

So now you might have understood the severeness of the problem which don't get highlighted enough because of the more worsened AQI levels outside in some parts of the World. 

What are the main constituents and the sources of Indoor Air Pollutants (IAP) 

• Formaldehyde, which comes from carpets and particle boards.
• Tetrachloroethylene is a synthetic chemical that is widely used for dry cleaning of fabrics and for metal-degreasing operations.
• Benzene which comes from detergents, paints, furniture wax, thinner and other things
• Xylene and Toluene which are used in some coloring pens, markers, spray paints, shoe polishes, adhesives.
• Carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxides.
• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) which comes solvents and chemicals in perfumes, hair sprays, air fresheners and furniture polish.
• Biological pollutants which constitute of dust, fungi, allergens.

So do we need to invest heavily in Ventilation Systems for our home ? 

OR

Is there any alternative ?

I agree that Ventilation systems do have a very high efficiency in improving the indoor air quality but at the same time it costs heavily and not everyone can install ventilation systems in their house.

Something as natural as plants, nature’s own air purifiers, can help you in keeping your house clear of air pollution.

Here are few plants that aids in the process of purification of Indoor Air:

1. Aloevera

Being a succulent plant aloevera doesn't need a lot of care and comes with a whole lot of benefits as it purifies benzene and formaldehyde from the air and added to that it also has medicinal properties thus helping in healing cuts, burns and skin problems.

2. Spider Plant

Also known as air plants, grows and spreads quickly. This plant fights against formaldehyde, benzene, carbon monoxide. Just like aloevera it also does't require much care. Keeping it in a room or office will be totally worth it.

3. Snake Plant

Low-maintenance snake plant, because of the shape and texture, is known for filtering formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene, toluene, and benzene from the air. 

The catch is, unlike regular plants, snake plant absorbs carbon dioxide and releases oxygen at night. Keeping it in your house, can help you get direct oxygen.

4. Bamboo Palm 

Bamboo Palm is one of the best plants to filter out benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene, and toluene. Along with this, the plant makes for a pretty indoor plant, to be kept near a bedside table. The best thing about this plant is, it does not need water regularly.

5. Warneck Dracaena

Don’t get scared or confused by the name of the plant. You must have surely seen this plant around you, especially in offices, reason being, it combats pollutants that come with paints, detergents, varnishes and oils. The plant does not require direct sunlight and can easily grow up to 12 feet in room temperature.

So hop up to the nearest nursery to you and bring natural purification to your house on a very nominal rate.