Ashok Gupta
When I was young, it was fascinating thing for me, how we human beings breathe out carbon dioxide in the air and the leaves of the plant exchange it with oxygen, which we can breathe in and out and keep our life going and help us to breathe easy.
Plant and trees do not breathe oxygen as we do. They take in carbon dioxide and they give out oxygen, just the opposite of people and animals. So lot of plants around us are good for people and animals. Plants and trees make the oxygen that we need for breathing. Thus for breathing easy we require more plants and trees around.
One of the major benefits of Indoor plants is to improve the quality of environment by filtering out air pollutants and toxic air borne chemicals. In 1989 National Aeronautic and Space Agency (NASA) study on Air purifying plants, researchers found that houseplants were able to remove upto 87 percent of air pollutants in 24 hours.
One of the growing concerns of man today is the indoor air pollution, especially when living in a closed poor ventilated area. This becomes more apparent when a large number of people are present in a confined place, such as airplane, shopping mall or any other crowded confined place for an extended period of time. All these factors collectively contribute to phenomenon called SICK BUILDING SYNDROME.
Magical solution
*Plant trees: The true meaning of life is to plant trees and trees improve environment and helps us to BREATHE EASY
*Trees absorb carbon dioxide: Plant and trees absorb carbon dioxide and potentially harmful gasses such as sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide from the air and release oxygen.
*Keep temperature balanced: Plants and trees help in keeping the temperature balanced by providing shelters.
*Plants and trees Produce oxygen, oxygen is life so plant lots of trees.
To improve the level of oxygen indoors we can plant, Air purifying plants. NASA has identified 29 plants to improve the air quality of homes and work places where we spent most of the time.
Plants identified by NASA are and suitable for different purposes in different sections of the house are:-
Plants suitable for Bed rooms
To reduce anxiety in bed room and to have sound sleep as we spent minimum of 8 hours in this room, AloeVera, Sansevaria (SnakePlant), Peace lily, Lavender, Xebra, Hedera, Arica Palm,Bamboo Palm, Golden Pothos, Aglonema are useful.
Plants to absorb radiation
of computers
We spend more time in computer lab or on computers either in office or in room , so here is the list of plants which absorbs radiation from computers. Cholorophytum, Spider, Sansevaria, Golden pothos, Succulents, Lily, Aloevera and Cactus of all sorts.
Plants suitable for bathrooms
Normally every human being spends at least one hour of the day in bath rooms,to keep the air fresh in bathroom following plants can be planted. Orchids,Tillanasias(Air Plant), Neon pothos,S pider,Grape Ivy, Bromoillas, pepromia, Sansevarias, Ferns with small leaves), cholorophytum, pothos, Hawrathia.
Kitchen loving indoor plants
Females and now males also spend sufficient time in the kitchen. To keep the air fresh, following plants can be planted preferably with wider/broad leaves: Alocasia, Monsteria, Dracenea, Hedera helix (Ivy) above sink, Aloe Vera barbadensis,White jasmine, Spider, Aglonema, Sensevaria.
Plants are ultimate room fresheners and pleasant to the eye and relax your mind and thus reduces stress level.
Studies shows that mere presence of plants in office/work place and in living place (different rooms) can boost an individual’s ability to concentrate longer and efficiency increases manifold. So plant more, enjoy more and live longer stress free life.
(The author is former Director Floriculture Jammu)
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