By now, we have weatherproofed our homes, sealing out any hint of cold wintry air. But our airtight houses may also be keeping in unwelcome guests. Culprits hitch a ride into our homes on carpeting, furniture and clothing. The buildup of chemicals released by these items is potentially harmful.
Formaldehyde can be released from foam insulation, plywood, household cleaners, paper goods and even clothes and furniture. Benzene sources are tobacco smoke, synthetic fibers, plastics and detergents.
Trichloroethylene, or TCE, can be released from paints, varnishes, lacquers and adhesives. Other indoor pollutants, such as dust and carbon dioxide, also pose health hazards.
What's a person to do? Don't fret. You needn't keep your windows open in wintertime to correct this problem. Houseplants can come to your rescue. According to the Plants for Clean Air Council, two potted plants per 100 square feet of floor space will help clean and refresh the air in the average home or office.
These recommendations are based on a two-year study initially done in 1984 by NASA's Dr. Bill Wolverton. Wolverton sealed plants in Plexiglas chambers and introduced various chemicals into each miniature "lab." Air samples were later taken to determine how much of the pollutant was absorbed by the plant.
The results were intriguing. While some plants performed better than others, Wolverton found philodendrons and golden pothos to be excellent formaldehyde controllers. Gerbera daisy and chrysanthemums cleansed benzene from the air and pot mums and peace lilies (Spathiphyllum) seemed well-suited against TCE.
The plant council claims that "virtually every tropical indoor plant and many flowering plants are powerful removers of indoor air pollutants."
Other plants that help clean the air are:
l Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata)
l Dragon tree (Dracaena)
l Ficus, including Ficus alii and weeping fig (Ficus benjamina)
l Ivy (Hedera helix)
l Palms: Yellow or Areca palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens), Lady palm (Raphis excelsa) and Parlor palm (Chamaedorea elegans)
l Rubber plant (Ficus robusta)
l Spider plant (Chlorophytum)
Wolverton, himself, was partial to lady palm, peace lily and Dracaena "Janet Craig." These plants are easy to grow, require little attention and are seldom bothered by pests. Plus, they seem to work well at keeping the air clean.
Another NASA study done in 1989 found that houseplants removed up to 87 percent of toxic indoor air within 24 hours. A 1994 German study reported that one spider plant could detoxify a 100-cubic-foot room laden with formaldehyde in six hours.
As good as it sounds, not everyone embraced the results of this research. The Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Indoor Air Quality was among the doubters. Critics claimed that substantially more plants would be needed to cleanse the air than was reported. And the high humidity needed to maintain the plants' health presented its own set of problems, such as the growth of mold spores and mildew.
In the end, I suppose we can decide for ourselves. And for those of us who like to keep a few houseplants around, what could it hurt to include a few of the "air purifying" ones on our tabletops and windowsills?
After all, even though the days are slowly getting longer, this wintry weather will keep us tucked inside our weatherproofed homes for a while yet. I'm all for giving the peace lily a chance.
Carol Boncella is education coordinator at Lawrence Memorial Hospital and home and garden writer for the Journal-World.
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