|
|
Article: Living filter: do houseplants really improve indoor air?(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- E Magazine
- Article date:
- July 1, 1998
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1998 Earth Action Network, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
To lower stress, many physicians recommend a relaxing hobby like gardening. But cultivating plants indoors may also lower the risk of asthma, allergies and "sick building syndrome."
The Environmental Protection Agency cites indoor air pollution as one of the top five public health threats in America, and the main culprit in the 60 percent rise in asthma over the last decade. Now researchers are looking to houseplants for a solution to polluted indoor air.
The energy crisis of the 1970s led many Americans to superinsulate heir homes and offices against energy loss. Man-made materials like particle board, synthetic fibers and plastic--which emit harmful ...