When you think about air pollution, you may think of cars, planes and factories. Smokestacks, smog and holes in the ozone layer probably make you think about dirty air. You hear all too often about the polluted outdoor air. But, what about your indoor environment? Should you also be concerned with the air that fills your lungs every day in your office? Furniture, carpets and wall paints are filled with chemicals that can harm you. Sure, the stains won’t stick and the floor may be fire retardant, but is that air safe for you to breathe? Adding to the mess, fast food wrappers, microwave popcorn bags and pizza boxes also contain harmful chemicals.
Many offices have recycled air and windows that don’t open. Is that the case for you? You probably have little or no control over what goes in your office, so what can you do to protect yourself from the office air?
Make plants your best friends. Decorate your office with a few. You’ll be doing yourself and your office mates a favor. Plants will help to improve the air quality in the place where you spend so many hours, day after day. Plants are effective at reducing the chemicals that the furniture and the carpets give off. They also reduce pollutants like ozone that are emitted by office equipment.
There are many varieties of plants that thrive indoors and in low light that are very effective in improving air quality. So, which plants should you choose?
English ivy cleans the air by absorbing airborne pollutants that computers and other office machines throw off into the air. These pollutants can cause headaches and nausea. Golden pothose is a vine that reduces indoor ozone like that from printers and copiers. Even low levels of ozone can cause chest pain and throat irritation. Areca palms can grow to be 6 feet tall which makes them great at cleaning the air.
Now that you’ve cleaned your air with plants, here are a few more to improve your mood. Peppermint smells great, and it can increase your alertness, improve your memory and decrease your appetite. Lemon balm stimulates your brain and improves your mood.
Since you spend most of your days cooped up in your office, why not bring some greenery to your scenery and also boost the quality of the air that you’re breathing?
Do you have plants in your office? Tell us about them in the comments below.
