Science Blog -- Potted plants aren't the answer to sick building syndrome. From: New Scientist Potted plants aren't the answer to sick building syndrome UK CONTACT - Claire Bowles, New Scientist Press Office, London: claire.bowles@rbi.co.uk Tel: 44-20-7331-2751 US CONTACT - New Scientist Washington office: newscidc@idt.net Tel: 202-452-1178 IF YOU want to improve the quality of the air in your home or office, forget about buying a few indoor plants. You'd have to make the place look like the Palm House at Kew Gardens to have even the slightest impact, claims an Australian researcher. A variety of organic molecules known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been found in office air and linked to sick building syndrome, a range of symptoms that leaves people feeling tired, irritable and unwell but with no specific illness.
Dingle and his colleagues measured formaldehyde levels in offices where the occupants had complained of poor air quality. Average levels of formaldehyde ranged from 10 ppb to 78 ppb in the office buildings. Sick Building Syndrome. Sick building syndrome (SBS) describes a situation whereby people experience symptoms of ill health that seem to be linked to spending time in a building, but where no specific cause can be identified.
The term building-related illness (BRI) refers to recognised diseases, often infections, eg Legionnaires' disease, caused by being in a building. The cause of sick building syndrome is thought to be at least in part due to changes in building and ventilation design triggered by the energy crisis in the 1970s. One large recent study found no significant relation between most aspects of the physical work environment and symptom prevalence.[1] Greater effects were found with features of the psychosocial work environment including high job demands and low support.The report concluded that the physical environment of office buildings appears to be less important than features of the psychosocial work environment in explaining differences in the prevalence of symptoms.
Gold Coast Sustainable Living Guide | Use plants to remove toxins. Our places of work often suffer from poor indoor air quality, and as the toxins build up, our health can suffer. Try adding some plants to the workplace that absorb toxic chemicals. Coughs, colds, sniffles, lethargy, allergies, headaches - perhaps your workplace is giving you sick building syndrome. The CSIRO estimates that the cost of poor indoor air quality in Australia may be as high as $12 billion per year ( Brown, 1998 ). In recent years, comparative risk studies performed by the US EPA and its Science Advisory Board have consistently ranked indoor air pollution among the top five environmental risks to public health ( US EPA, 1993 ).
The indoor pollutants that affect health include formaldehyde, volatile organic compounds (benzene and trichloroethylene or TCE), airborne biological pollutants, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides, pesticides and disinfectants (phenols) and radon. How to do it now! Pollutants are emitted from furnishings, office equipment and some building materials. h110indoorair. The Top 10 Plants for Removing Indoor Toxins. Common indoor plants may provide a valuable weapon in the fight against rising levels of indoor air pollution. NASA scientists are finding them to be surprisingly useful in absorbing potentially harmful gases and cleaning the air inside homes, indoor public spaces and office buildings. The indoor pollutants that affect health are formaldehyde, Volatile Organic Compounds (benzene and trichloroethylene or TCE), airborne biological pollutants, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides, pesticides and disinfectants (phenols), and radon.
These pollutants contribute to ‘sick building syndrome’, which causes symptoms ranging from allergies, headaches and fatigue through to nervous-system disorders, cancer and death. Through studies conducted by NASA, scientists have identified 50 houseplants that remove many of the pollutants and gases mentioned above. Dr. B. C. More information on this study as well as references and details on specific chemicals can be found on Dr. Dr. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Sick-building syndrome. A recent study from the Botanical Institute at the University of Cologne, Germany, shows that hydroculture plants (plants grown without soil) like the ficus Benjamina and pothos do a remarkable job of removing interior air pollutants such as formaldehyde, benzol, phenol and nicotine. These items are released into the interior atmosphere from the building materials themselves and contribute to the phenomenon known as "Sick-building syndrome".
Hydroculture plants absorb pollutants such as formaldehyde in large quantities through their leaves. They don't just store these chemical pollutants, but actually transform 90% of these substances into sugars, new plant material, and oxygen. The ficus removes nicotine and breaks it down, while the rapidly growing pothos stores the nicotine in its younger leaves. The institute found up to 30 milligrams per gram of leaf dry weight. This combination of ficus/pothos can effectively neutralize most office pollutants. Stachybotrys [©U. Healthy Green at Work | Welcome on the campaign site of Healthy Plants in the Workplace.
Fresh air oxygen producing plants that clean and purify the air. Plants for People. Do Plants in Offices promote Health ? Prof. Dr. Tøve Fjeld, Agricultural University of Norway, Ås/Oslo Reports from the nineteen-eighties indicate that house plants are able to reduce the level of chemical compounds in the air. However, plants do not just act as potential air purifiers. It is interesting to note that there have been only very minor changes in mankind's biology, physiology or genetics over the past 10,000 years. This started 250 years ago with the industrial revolution, which lead to the urbanisation of the western world. A modern lifestyle also presents us with a new situation in terms of psychological perspectives on our health. One explanation for this appears to be provided by the concept of "psychological identity".
Our urbanised lifestyle also means - at least in the Scandinavian countries - that we spend 80% to 90% of our time in enclosed buildings. Several studies from the past 10 to 15 years show that the view from the window can affect our sense of well-being.