New studies from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) has indicated plants can improve indoor air quality, and the size of the pot or plant does not matter above 200 mm.
"We have found that a plant in a 200 mm pot is as effective as one in a 250 mm or 300 mm in removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and it seems that any plant will perform as well as others," says adjunct professor Margaret Burchett from UTS.
"People do not realise that in Australia in urban areas, people spend 90 per cent of their time indoors and the quality of indoor air is now more important than ever. Our studies and those from overseas confirm that our natural air filters - pot plants - can make a real difference to maintaining air quality and directly improving the well-being of people."
The studies looked at different varieties of plants and different pot and plant sizes and their uptake of the different VOCs which would commonly be found in indoor air.
"The whole plant system is acting as nature's air filter. The micro-organisms need a healthy plant and root system to grow and different ones absorb different gases that are toxic to us. As well, their role in removing CO2 from the air and adding oxygen means that they are the greenest way of improving indoor air quality," Burchett says.
The Green Building Council now awards two points towards Green Star ratings for indoor plant installations.
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