Improve the Air Quality in your Office Environment

It's been awhile since I've written about healthy, green living. It's a passion of mine to learn to reuse materials, recycle, to eat more organically, have less clutter, use less energy, do what I can as a person to help the environment.

As a Realtor, the overall market is always a concern. It's been a rocky road in the housing sales. However, talking and writing about healthier ways of living go hand in hand in the Real Estate biz.

A few years ago, I found an article about a study that NASA along with the ALCA (Associated Contractors of America) conducted in the late 1980's about houseplants that was good news to homeowners and office workers.

This is Spring time, the weather is warming up, more outdoor living, more open windows but there are buildings where it's difficult to bring the fresh air in. Not so good if you spend a lot of time in energy efficient buildings that lack the proper ventilation. If that's the case, the lack of good air quality can trap pollutants in the unventilated buildings.

The recommended plants can be found below. Note that all the plants in the list are easily available from your local nursery.

1. Philodendron scandens `oxycardium', heartleaf philodendron
2. Philodendron domesticum, elephant ear philodendron
3. Dracaena fragrans `Massangeana', cornstalk dracaena
4. Hedera helix, English ivy
5. Chlorophytum comosum, spider plant
6. Dracaena deremensis `Janet Craig', Janet Craig dracaena
7. Dracaena deremensis `Warneckii', Warneck dracaena
8. Ficus benjamina, weeping fig
9. Epipiremnum aureum, golden pothos
10. Spathiphyllum `Mauna Loa', peace lily
11. Philodendron selloum, selloum philodendron
12. Aglaonema modestum, Chinese evergreen
13. Chamaedorea sefritzii, bamboo or reed palm
14. Sansevieria trifasciata, snake plant
15. Dracaena marginata , red-edged dracaena

For an average home or space of under 2,000 square feet, the study recommends using at least fifteen samples of a good variety of these common houseplants to help improve air quality. They also recommend that the plants be grown in six inch containers or larger.

For health and wellness tips for your home or office, don't hesitate to call me or drop me an email. It would be my pleasure to pass what I know to help.