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When we think of air pollution we generally think of exhaust from fossil fuels burned by automobiles and industry but indoor air pollution can have a dramatic impact on human health as well.

Indoor pollutants, such as formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene, can come from furniture, appliances, carpeting, drapery, paint, plastics, sealants, cleansers, photocopiers, printers and even perfumes.

Chemical Sources & Effects

Formaldehyde
Particleboard or pressed wood products, carpet, water repellent, fire retardant, natural gas, kerosene, cigarette smoke
Irritates the eyes, nose, and throat. Can cause headaches and allergic dermatitis.

Benzene
Inks, oils, paints, plastics, rubber
Irritates eyes and skin. Prolonged exposure can cause headaches, loss of appetite, drowsiness.

Trichloroethylene
Dry-cleaning fluid, printing inks, paints, varnishes, adhesives
Considered a carcinogen.


Fortunately nature once again provides us with an inexpensive yet highly effective solution …indoor plants! Indoor plants are excellent air filters for your home and office because they absorb the majority of these indoor pollutants.

It takes one or two good-sized plants to purify the air in a 10' x 10' room, depending on the level of impurities present. That equates to one large plant per 100 square feet of space.

In general, the more plants you have in the room, the better. Keep in mind that a more heavily polluted environment requires more plants. Getting good results in an entire house requires many plants. And because each plant has an affinity for different toxins, use a mixture of plants.

Top plant picks:

1. Spider Plant
2. Peace Lily
3. English Ivy
4. Ficus
5. philodendron

For more conservation information visit wwf.ca.

To find more tips on how to reduce your impact on the earth visit saveourclimate.ca.

( borrowed from ff thanks to sunkissedbreezes )