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DIY: How To Grow Your Own Fresh Air

March 26, 2009 By 13 Comments
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According to GreenSpaces, these three plants not only lead to fresher indoor air…but also an increase in productivity!

GreenSpaces has tested these plants for the past 15 years in a 20 year old, 50,000 ft2 building with over 300 occupants, and 1,200 plants! A study published on September 8, 2008 found that there is a 42% probability of increasing blood oxygen by 1% if one is inside the building for 10 hours. In fact, the building is rated the healthiest building in Delhi by the Government of India.

So how does this increase productivity? Compared to other buildings in Delhi, the incidence of eye irritation reduced by 52%, lower respiratory symptoms by 34%, headaches by 24%, upper respiratory symptoms by 20%, lung impairment by 10-12% and Asthma by 9%.

Some info on the plants:

Areca Palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens)
  • Works well in the day time
  • Great for living areas
  • One needs about 4 shoulder high plants/person
  • Needs to be put outdoors once every 3-4 months
  • The leaves of the plant need to be wiped everyday in Delhi and perhaps once a month in a cleaner city
  • The soil used should be of vermi manure or use hydroponics
Mother-in-law’s Tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata)
  • Converts CO2 into O2 at night
  • One requires about 6-8 such waist high plants per person in the bedroom
  • Leaves need to be wiped in the same way as the Areca Palm
  • The soil used should be of vermi manure or use hydroponics
Money Plant (Epipremnum aureum)
  • Excellent for removing Formaldehyde and other VOC’s
  • Best grown using hydroponics

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Image: GreenSpaces

Filed Under: Air Quality, Health Tagged With: , , , ,
About Jerry James Stone

Jerry is a web developer, part-time blogger and a full-time environmentalist. His crusade for all things eco started twenty years ago when he ditched his meat-and-potatoes upbringing for something more vegetarian-shaped.

He currently works at Care2 and also blogs over at Treehugger. His passions include green tech, eco politics and smart green design. And while he doesn't own a car anymore, he loves to write about those too.

Jerry studied at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, CA. During his time there he was a DJ at the campus station KCPR and he also wrote for the campus paper.

Jerry currently resides in San Francisco, CA with his cat Lola.

You can stalk him on Twitter @jerryjamesstone.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Dill-Weed/100000216524046 Dill Weed

    My mother in laws’ tongue is always flapping.

  • Breath on the Wind

    I have also read that the bamboo plam works just as well as the Areca Palm and is MUCH easier to grow. English Ivy may also be good vs indoor toxins.

    Thanks for a great article

  • http://twitter.com/vetxcl T. Lester

    Money plant grows just fine in normal soil. No need for hydroponics whatsoever. The added bonus is that normal soil is a lower tech solution. I have one in my room. It’s doing just fine in normal soil.
    Haven’t picked any money from it just yet. ;)

  • Adam

    Interesting. The “mother in law’s tongue” plant is all over my office. Like, every flat surface has it growing. I wondered what that was about. Kudos to my employers.

  • Tracy Tau

    The idea inspires me, why not? We need oxygen more than ever now, and deforestation is only getting worse. For the people with health conditions, I’m sure they would not mind their homes turning into nurseries if it makes them feel better.

    I have a small apartment so I’m starting off with buying one of each. My black thumb is my problem.

  • Tracy Tau

    The idea inspires me, why not? We need oxygen more than ever now, and deforestation is only getting worse. For the people with health conditions, I’m sure they would not mind their homes turning into nurseries if it makes them feel better.

    I have a small apartment so I’m starting off with buying one of each. My black thumb is my problem.

  • skeptical

    so, there is less than a 1-in-2 chance of increasing the oxygen in blood flow by 1%? Considering that in most people blood oxygen is 98-99% already this really amounts to very little.

    Of course this is only achieved less than half the time IF you stay indoors for 10hrs, two hours more than you average 8 hr day, AND you have to stay in for your lunch beak too.

    I think the productivity has little to do with decreased incidence of various ailments and the negligible increase in blood oxygen, and everything to do with keeping your workforce in the building for 10 hrs.

    bunk.

  • skeptical

    so, there is less than a 1-in-2 chance of increasing the oxygen in blood flow by 1%? Considering that in most people blood oxygen is 98-99% already this really amounts to very little.

    Of course this is only achieved less than half the time IF you stay indoors for 10hrs, two hours more than you average 8 hr day, AND you have to stay in for your lunch beak too.

    I think the productivity has little to do with decreased incidence of various ailments and the negligible increase in blood oxygen, and everything to do with keeping your workforce in the building for 10 hrs.

    bunk.

  • kate

    I gave up my indoor plants when I got a cat. Which indoor plants would be well suited to a curious cat?

  • kate

    I gave up my indoor plants when I got a cat. Which indoor plants would be well suited to a curious cat?

  • GrimReeper

    I have seen this on other sites before. I think it is a great idea and would love to implement this. The problem I have is that by the time I have 4 Areca Palms, 6 Mother in laws Tongues and a Money Plant in my place it may as well be a nursery -_-’

  • GrimReeper

    I have seen this on other sites before. I think it is a great idea and would love to implement this. The problem I have is that by the time I have 4 Areca Palms, 6 Mother in laws Tongues and a Money Plant in my place it may as well be a nursery -_-’