Office plants are important in the workplace for many reasons. Not only to the brighten up the place, but they also help clean the air. The average office worker spends 90 percent of their time indoors. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency attributes poor indoor air quality to many health problems, such as headaches, fatigue, dizziness, and allergy symptoms.
Office plants are important for any office space. Upholstery, cleaning products, and building materials all emit indoor air pollutants. Office plants help to absorb pollutants like formaldehyde, benzene, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and thus improving indoor air quality. Office plants clean the air by taking in carbon dioxide and particulates and releasing oxygen. It is also believed that the microbes in potting soil also play a role by breaking down toxins in the air.
Some office plants that are good to consider:
Peace Lily – Peace lilies can help filter trichloroethylene, an indoor air pollutant associate with printing inks, paint, lacquers, and adhesives; trishloroethylene is commonly used in cleaning products.
Spider Plant – Spider plants effectively filter formaldehyde from the air. Formaldehyde is used in pressed wood products, like office furniture and floor coverings.
Gerbera Daisy – The Gerbera Daisy filters benzene, a pollutant in inks, paints, and plastics.
Golden Pothos – Like spider plants, golden pothos, also filter formaldehyde.
Palm – NASA research rated the areca palm the most efficient air-purifying plant.
The leaves on office plants such as philodendrons, golden pothos, and ferns prefer low light or filtered light, making them good choices for cubicles and waiting rooms. NASA research showed that you need to use one potted plant per 100 square feet to effectively clean the air, which means that just one plant in a 10’-by-10’ cubicle will improve air quality in your corner of the office. Plants in waiting rooms or common areas make the space more inviting and relaxing.
If you are interested in adding office plants in your Louisville, KY commercial space, contact Anything Groes today.
