Plants, Clean Air & Better Health

With autumn well underway, people are closing their windows and turning up the heat. The downside is this: the air inside your home is actually three times (in some cases – ten times) more toxic than the air we breathe outside. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) currently ranks indoor air pollution as one of the top five threats to public health. The good news is that you can do something about it!

Sometimes science needs to catch up with mother nature just to prove a point that gardeners have known for decades – plants not only relieve stress and look pretty, but they clean the environment. Bring plants inside for the cold season and they will clean the air in your home too.

Interesting research from New Delhi, India (published September 2008) found 3 basic common green plants that effectively clean the indoor air and increase oxygen in a person’s bloodstream. The results show a 42% probability of one’s blood oxygen levels going up 1% if the individual stays in the building for 10 hours. One percent may not seem significant – but the results demonstrate a reduced incidence of:

• Eye irritation by 52%
• Respiratory symptoms by 34%
• Lung impairment by 12%
• Headaches by 24%
• Asthma by 9%

If you suffer from any of the listed symptoms, you would benefit from growing a green thumb. Bringing plants into your home will consume carbon dioxide and other volatile chemicals and convert it into oxygen, thus improving your overall health.

Most common symptoms resulting from indoor air pollution:

Headache                                                   Asthma

Eye, nose and throat irritation             Allergies – food & environmental

Dizziness                                                    Increased rates of respiratory infections

Disorientation                                           Chemical sensitivities

Difficulty concentrating                          Fatigue

It’s as simple as adding one plant to each room per person living in your home. The following plants were the subjects of the New Dehli Study.

1. The Living Room Plant, known as “Areca Palm,” (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens), will consume CO2 and convert it into O2.

2. The Bedroom Plant, known as “Mother-In-Law’s Tongue,” (Sansevieria trifasciata), will consume CO2 and convert it into O2 at night.

3. The Specialist Plant, known as “Money Plant” (Epipremnum aureuim), removes formaldehydesand other volatile chemicals from the air.

More Information on Indoor Air Pollution

The Most Common Indoor Air Pollutants in an average home:

#1 Tobacco Smoke – high in cancer-causing chemicals and heavy metals

#2 Carpet Chemicals found in “dust bunnies” consist of *39 toxic chemicals

#3 Dry Cleaning – Tetrachloroethylene in high concentrations persist for 48 hours.

Other Sources:

• Thymol                                        Fabric softeners
• Para(1,4)dichlorobenzene     Mothballs, deodorants
• Styrene                                         Plastic, foam rubber, insulation, ETS
• Tetrachlorethylene                   Dry cleaning
• Vinylidene chloride                  Paint
• Xylene                                          Paint, ETS, tobacco smoke
• Benzene                                       ETS, dry cleaning, tobacco smoke
• Isopropylbenzene, styrene,    Soaps, fragrance, perfumes
• Trimethylbenzenes, phenol   Soaps, fragrance, perfumes

Another study investigated symptoms of mice exposed to air fresheners for 1 hour. The results showed:

• Increased sensory irritation
• Increased pulmonary irritation
• Decreased airflow velocity
• Increased behavioral abnormalities

Note on the Warning Label for Glade Air Fresheners: “WARNING: USE ONLY AS DIRECTED. INTENTIONAL MISUSE BY DELIBERATELY CONCENTRATING AND INHALING THE CONTENTS CAN BE HARMFUL OR FATAL. HELP STOP INHALATION ABUSE.” FOR INFORMATION VISIT www.inhalant.org.

7 Simple Steps to Reduce Air Pollution in Your Home

1. Reduce or eliminate carpeting in the home 

2. Do not wear shoes indoors

3. No smoking indoors                                  

4. No air fresheners, scented bounce or strong cleaning supplies

5. Air out any dry cleaning in your garage for at least 48 hours before bringing these items into your home

6. Change furnace filters every 1-3 months with high quality pleated filters – MERV rating (7+)

7. Add air-purifying plants to every room in your home. Any tropical plant will do!

A fantastic book by Dr. B.C. Wolverton called “How to grow fresh air: 50 Household plants that purify your home or office,” provides colorful pictures and a rating scale on each plants capacity to remove chemical vapors from the air.

In addition, Electronic Air Purifiers can be introduced into the home from reputable companies such as IQAir.com, BlueAir.com and AustinAir.com (To which I have receive NO endorsements or commission from).

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) began research over 20 years ago to investigate the capacity of plants for indoor air purification. Today, there are over 300 published scientific studies to support this finding.

Remember – You are what you breathe, drink, eat and think!

*39 Chemicals found in Carpet dust alone: Formaldehyde, Azulene, Phthalic acid esters, TCE, Benzene, Xylene, Toluene, Methyl methacrylate, Methacrylic acid, Acetonitrile, Styrene, 1-Chloronaphthalene, 1-Ethyl-3-methylbenzene, Ethylzylene, Trimethylbenzene, 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, Biphenyl, Propylbenzene,4- Phenylcyclohexane, Isocyanates, Cyclopentadiene, Butyloctanol-1, Diphenyl ether, 2,6-Dimethyl, 1,3,5-Cycloheptatriene, Butadiene, Dihydroxyacenophthene, Dodecane, Hexadecanol, Hexamethylene Triamine, 1-Methylnaphthalene, 1-H-indene, 2-Methylnaphthalene, 1-Methyl-4-Tridecene, Polyacrylates,  5- Methyltridecane, Octadecenyl Amine, Oxarium, Tetradecene.

Is Your Water Safe To Drink?

As British Columbians’, we are fortunate to enjoy relatively clean, mountain spring water. However, with industrial pollution, rising pharmaceutical prescriptions, plastic products, contamination of arsenic and even rocket fuel in our soil – our water is at risk for contamination. As a doctor, I strongly believe that pure water is an essential element to staying healthy, next to a clean diet and an active lifestyle.

In April 2009, Health Canada initiated a research study into the quality of our drinking water. Sixty water treatment facilities will be reviewed across the country and more than 100 different water quality parameters will be analyzed over the next two years (2009 & 2010).

Some of the parameters to be measured include a variety of disinfection by-products (54 in total), some new and emerging contaminants (e.g., selected pharmaceuticals, personal care products, Biphenol A, etc.), various inorganic substances, and general water quality. These results will not be released until 2011. You can read more regarding this research at www.hc-sc.gc.ca

Bottled Water & What We Know:

Up to 40% of bottled water is actually bottled tap water that may or may not be treated and filtered. Bottled water can contain chlorine and fluoride – chemicals proven to have deleterious effects in the body. The plastic used for bottled water is commonly polyethylene terephthalate (PET) – this material potentially leaches bisphenol A, antimony and other toxins into your water and then into your body – causing hormone havoc! All of this, in addition to the insult we place on our environment with landfills and oceans filling up on non-biodegradable plastic. If you must drink water out of a plastic bottle, turn it over and make sure it’s a #2, #4 or #5 – these are known not to leach harmful substances.

Other Concerns:

• Apparently, a reverse osmosis (RO) system, although not a bad idea, isn’t suited for Vancouver water. RO is costly, makes water acidic, de-structures water, is a breeding ground for bacteria and oh yes, it’s very inefficient – requiring up to 5 litres of water to produce 1 clean litre.
• Brita and Pur – although inexpensive and good at removing chlorine – breed bacteria and leach aluminum.
• Don’t forget the water you shower with! Our skin is our largest organ and often times, the relaxed, ready-to-go-to-sleep feeling we have after a bath or shower may be directly related to the sedating effects of chlorine. So I would recommend seriously considering a shower filter that often comes with many filtration packages.

Tap Water in BC – Ohh My!

Scratch what I said earlier about drinking relatively clean, mountain spring water. Known water contaminants in the greater Vancouver area may contain the following hazards:

1. Chlorine – a biological poison
2. Trihalomethanes – (THM’s) and Haloacetic acids (HAA’s)
3. Cryptosporidium and Giardia – Parasitic cysts that cause intestinal and immune systems disorders.
4. Lead (especially in homes built prior to 1991) Not found in the water supply itself, but introduced into water from pipe fittings and plumbing fixtures containing lead
5. Even more contaminants exist if you live near agricultural land, pulp mills and other industries

I highly recommend the 2 following local options for Vancouverites:

For Filtrations Systems visit: www.yourwatermatters.com

For Alkaline Water visit: www.ionways.com

Remember – You are what you breathe, drink, eat and think!