Ornamentals and Flowers
(revised) Dec.
2007
OF-39
Using Houseplants To Clean Indoor Air
Kent D.
Kobayashi, Andrew J.
Kaufman, John Griffis, and James McConnell1
Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, 1
University of Guam
In offices, homes, and...
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Ornamentals and Flowers
(revised) Dec.
2007
OF-39
Using Houseplants To Clean Indoor Air
Kent D.
Kobayashi, Andrew J.
Kaufman, John Griffis, and James McConnell1
Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, 1
University of Guam
In offices, homes, and other indoor areas, poor air
quality can both cause health problems and make existing health problems worse.
The U.
S.
Environmental
Protection Agency currently ranks indoor air pollution
as one of the top five threats to public health.
Indoor air pollution results from the release of chemical vapors and the suspension in the air of particulates
such as dust and microorganisms.
In response to increasing energy costs and the need to conserve energy
resources, buildings and homes have been designed to be
more energy efficient.
Thus, many offices and new homes
have tighter construction, sealing the building from the
outside air.
This makes it easier for indoor air pollutants
to accumulate to dangerous levels.
With people spending
Less
