Indoor House Plants Cause Health Hazards

Gardening

oi-Staff

Wednesday, October 7, 2009, 14:24

To add a charm to your interiors or give a nice touch to the aesthetics, the potted plants have had been a favoured option for many but not anymore, as researchers have found that they may have negative effects on health.

The research that was carried out by the University of Georgia's Department of Horticulture identified the presence of volatile materials in the plants that may be injurious to health. The volatile material when released into the environment can prove to be harmful to both humans and animals.

Stanley J. Kays, a lead researcher with the University found that the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted by four popular indoor plant species Peace Lily, Snake Plant, Weeping Fig and Areca Palm.

For measuring the amount of VOC, the researcher placed each plant in glass containers with inlet ports connected to charcoal filters to supply purified air and outlet ports connected to traps where volatile emissions were measured.

The research showed that Peace Lily alone contained 23 volatile compounds, Areca Palm had 16, Weeping Fig 13 and Snake Plant 12. Some of the VOCs are ingredients in pesticides applied to several species during the production phase.

"Although micro-organisms in the media have been shown to be important in the removal of volatile air pollutants, they also release volatiles into the atmosphere", said Kays.

VOCs released did not come from the plant itself, but rather the micro-organisms living in the soil. While some 11 other VOCs were found to be from the plastic pots containing the plants.

An interesting finding in the research is that the VOC emission rates were higher during the day than at night in all the species. While the study concluded that ornamental plants are known to remove certain VOCs, but still they also emit a variety of VOCs, some of which are known to be biologically active.

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