Eliminate Pollution
Today's experience sharing about plant decoration for the home, eliminating pollution and purifying the air - "Huashan Swordplay" -- Top 10 Best Plants, the specific details are as follows:
There have been many introductions about plants purifying the air, some say that the spider plant is the best, others say that the ivy is the best, there are various opinions. The most authoritative in this aspect is Wolverton's book "How to Grow Fresh Air: 50 House Plants that Purify Your Home or Office", but this book is not available in China. I searched online and found quite a few articles about Wolverton's work, and the following one is relatively recent and seems good.
This is an article from the National Wildlife Magazine, which I translated into Chinese. My English level is not high, so please bear with it.
The article ends with a ranking of plants' air purification abilities. If you don't know what plants to buy, refer to this list.
NATIONAL WILDLIFE MAGAZINE
Jun/Jul 1999, vol. 37 no. 4
U.S. National Wildlife Magazine, 1999
"Your Health"
Perhaps you heard reports about the amazing air purification ability of spider plants more than a decade ago: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) tested three common plants for their ability to remove formaldehyde from the air, and preliminary results indicate that spider plants can remove 95% of toxic substances from a sealed glass room within 24 hours.
Since then, more research has been conducted in this area, but new experiments have made spider plants lose their luster. It's not that the previous results were wrong, but that other plants can also clear toxic substances from the air, including from ammonia to benzene. These toxic substances come from a wide range of sources in life, including adhesives, ceiling tiles, photocopiers, and indoor decorations. Some plants are much more effective than spider plants. More and more evidence suggests that indoor plants can indeed effectively improve the air quality in homes and offices.
Many of these studies were conducted by NASA scientist Bill Wolverton. Wolverton found that plants absorb pollutants from the air through the "breathing" process (inhaling carbon dioxide, exhaling oxygen) and transport them to the roots, where they are devoured and degraded by microorganisms.
Wolverton tested various plants, placing them in 85-gallon chambers filled with toxic gases, and then measured the remaining concentration of toxins after 12 hours. The results were astonishing. "We found that the most effective plants also have a vigorous transpiration process, which means they emit more moisture into the environment," Wolverton said, "This is the result of the pumping action. Plants pump up the moisture and 'pull' the air towards the roots."
After retiring from NASA, Wolverton promoted the planting of indoor plants through his book "How to Grow Fresh Air" and started his own service. He plans to operate a planter with a fan and filter to maximize the pumping action of plants. However, while his research results are being confirmed and promoted, the precise filtering ability of plants in non-laboratory environments remains unknown.
"There is no question about what plants can do," said Jhon Girman of the Indoor Environment Division of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), "The question is how effective they can be, can they handle the task of cleaning indoor pollution?" In a small space, one plant may be enough to purify the air, but for an entire room, many plants may be needed. The exact number is unclear. Wolverton thinks 60 is enough, while Girman believes it may take 700.
Another issue is that the amount of toxins in experiments is limited, while in real life, they are continuously released from pollution sources. Environmental scientist Thad Godish of Ball State University said: "A decrease in air concentration will trigger more release."
Wolverton counters that he and his colleagues found that plants can continuously remove formaldehyde from the air. Moreover, he found that with time, at least one plant - the lady palm - actually increased its ability to absorb gases.
Interesting evidence suggests that the utility of plants is not limited to the results already proven in the laboratory. "Often people tell me that their headaches, pharyngitis, or other sick building syndromes have healed or improved since they started planting plants," said Jan Roy, a member of the Plant Air Purification Committee.
Since different plants are good at absorbing different pollutants, Roy and Wolverton recommend mixed planting. "The more you plant, the better the effect," Wolverton said. He introduced a simple rule of thumb: for every 100 square feet (about 10 square meters) of space, there should be two to three pots of plants with a diameter of 8-10 inches (20-25 cm).
A potential problem with planting too many plants is that excessive moisture can lead to the growth of mold and bacteria. To prevent this, water in the saucers should be emptied in time. Spanish moss or gravel can also be placed on the soil surface.
Plants are not万能, Wolverton warns, "If a new room has serious air pollution issues, even planting a large number of plants won't help." However, just like a cat on your lap, having a pot of plant in your "breathing zone" - the 6 to 8 cubic feet of space around you - is very comforting.
"If you sit in front of the computer for a long time or are lying on a comfortable chair watching TV, put a pot of plant next to you," he suggests, "Because the closer you are to it, the more benefits you get."
Ohio writer Frank Kuznik says his best friend is indoor plants.
Top 10 Air Purifying Plants
Wolverton evaluated plants based on their pollution removal ability, ease of care, resistance to pests, and transpiration rate, and the following are the top ten.
Areca palm (Chrysalidocarpus Lutescens) - 80-100 small leaves, palm family
Lady palm (Rhapis excelsa) - palm family
Bamboo palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii) - no more than 36 small leaves, stems resemble bamboo with raised internodes, palm family
Rubber plant (Ficus elastica) - mulberry family
Dracaena (especially "Janet Craig") - includes dragon blood trees such as marginata, Massangeana, Warneckii, and Janet Craig, which resembles corn plants
English ivy (not important which country it comes from)
Dwarf date palm (Phoenix humilis) - palm family
Ficus Alii (Ficus binnendijkii 'Alii') - leaves are thin and long
Boston fern
Peace lily
The full content of "Huashan Swordplay" - Top 10 Best Plants for Pollution Removal and Air Purification is here, hoping it can help you. Also, I hope everyone comes to see more green plant and flower experience and common sense!