Combating Indoor Air Pollution: 5 Plants To Make Your Home Clean And Green

New Delhi: From respiratory diseases, cancer, stroke to lung diseases such as asthma and heart disease, both indoor and outdoor pollution are a cause of harmful diseases. According to a report by the World Health Organisation, 4.3 million people worldwide die due to poor air quality prevailing inside the house. Around 3.8 million premature deaths occur annually from non-communicable diseases including ischaemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer are all attributed to exposure to household air pollution.

From cooking method, cleaning products, deodorant, detergents to hair sprays, air fresheners, furniture polish and dust, different factors are responsible for surge and decline in levels of indoor air pollution. But as much as your actions contribute in increasing the levels of air pollution, they can also help in bringing it down.

Also Read: Breathe Easy: 6 Effective Ways To Fight Indoor Air Pollution

Something as natural as plants, nature’s own air purifiers, can help you in keeping your house clear of air pollution by tackling the following pollutants-

• Formaldehyde, which comes from carpets and particle boards
• Tetrachloroethylene is a synthetic chemical that is widely used for dry cleaning of fabrics and for metal-degreasing operations
• Benzene which comes from detergents, paints, furniture wax, thinner and other things
• Xylene and Toluene which are used in some coloring pens, markers, spray paints, shoe polishes, adhesives
• Carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxides
• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) which comes solvents and chemicals in perfumes, hair sprays, air fresheners and furniture polish
• Biological pollutants which constitute of dust, fungi, allergens

Here are 5 plants that can help you get clean indoor air.

1. Aloe Vera

Make room for sun-loving plant, Aloe Vera, to reduce indoor air pollution

Easy to grow, succulent Aloe Vera plant comes with a bag full of benefits. While with its presence, it helps in filtering benzene and formaldehyde that comes from carpets and particle boards, its extract aids in healing cuts, burns and skin problems. The sun-loving plant requires a lot of sunlight and little water. Also, you don’t need big space or pot to plant it. A small pot filled with soil and a leaf will work. Just keep it in your drawing room, near a window, and reap its benefits.

Also Read: Mumbai Police Joins Hands With City Based NGO To Plant 4,000 Trees In A Months’ Time

2. Spider Plant

Spiders are not good for house, but spider plants are surely a gift to beat indoor air pollution

Spider plant, also known as air plant, grows and spreads quickly. The plant fights against carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, benzene which comes from detergents, paints, furniture wax, thinner and other things. Just like Aloe Vera, cut of one of the spiders leaves and place it in a pot and watch it grow. Spider plants neither require direct sunlight nor do they need to be put under cold weather. Keeping it in a room or in an office corridor will serve the purpose.

3. Snake Plant

Bring in a low-maintenance snake plant and reap its benefits, especially to overcome indoor air pollution

Low-maintenance snake plant, also known as mother-in-law’s tongue, because of the shape and texture, is known for filtering formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene, toluene, and benzene from the air. The catch is, unlike regular plants, snake plant absorbs carbon dioxide and releases oxygen at night. Keeping it in your house, can help you get direct oxygen.

Also Read: Experts Speak: Can Delhi Afford To Cut Trees?

4. Bamboo Palm

Bamboo Plant: Let your plant do the talking as it helps you in reducing indoor air pollution

Bamboo Palm is one of the best plants to filter out benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene, and toluene. Along with this, the plant makes for a pretty indoor plant, to be kept near a bedside table. The best thing about this plant is, it does not need water regularly, and in fact it does well only when it is underwatered, as compared to other plants.

5. Warneck Dracaena

Beauty and reducing pollution go hand in hand, courtesy Warneck Dracaena

Don’t get scared or confused by the name of the plant. You must have surely seen this plant around you, especially in offices, reason being, it combats pollutants that come with paints, detergents, varnishes and oils. The plant does not require direct sunlight and can easily grow up to 12 feet in room temperature.

Also Read: Plant And Nurture A Tree To Get Incentive Of Rs. 300: Haryana Chief Minister To Students

NDTV – Dettol Banega Swachh India campaign lends support to the Government of India’s Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). Helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan, the campaign aims to spread awareness about hygiene and sanitation, the importance of building toilets and making India open defecation free (ODF) by October 2019, a target set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when he launched Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in 2014. Over the years, the campaign has widened its scope to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and menstrual hygiene. The campaign has also focused extensively on marine pollution, clean Ganga Project and rejuvenation of Yamuna, two of India’s major river bodies.