Plants for IAQ

The potential for plants to contribute to remediation of air, water, and soil have all been mentioned at L+U. One item that was discussed in some length was the idea of indoor biofiltration or the use of plants and living walls to provide indoor pollutant reduction. This can be done either passively through introduction of plants, as well as actively, through integration into HVAC systems.

A recent reference in Inhabitat discusses a feature related to Plants for your Health from Good Magazine - which features a much more comprehensive (and pretty graphically awesome) display of plants and their functions for mitigating such air pollutants as Trichloroethylene, Formaldehyde, and Benzene.


:: image via Inhabitat

From Inhabitat: "Good has made it easier to fight indoor air pollution by pairing pollutants with there botanical adversary in this quick reference chart for the home. Indoor air pollutants like gas heaters, smoke, pressed wood, insulation, paint, pets, humans and even air fresheners. All of which can have detrimental effects to your health including headaches, bronchitis, asthma, and skin irritations, just to name a few."


:: image via Inhabitat

A closer look reveals a number of usual suspects, such as Chrysanthemums, spider plants, English ivy and weeping figs and some common sources of indoor pollutants. So time to dust off the plants, give them some water, and appreciate them for what they give back to you - hey, they may even save your life...