Choose live plants to better your health
There is a wide variety of tropical plant foliage (common household plants) that act as air purifiers. Some of these plants include but are not limited to, devils ivy (golden pothos), peace lily, dragon tree, corn plant, and snake plants.
Most tropical plants are known to absorb harmful toxins such as trichloroethylene, benzene, and formaldehyde. These toxins are frequently the cause of dizziness, weakness, headaches, nausea, blurred vision, eye irritations, and even respiratory disease. Not only are plants known to remove harmful toxins from the air but they also help to decrease stress while enhancing productivity by up to 12%.
According to a study done by Dr. Lohr, participants were 12% more productive and less stressed than those who worked in an environment with no plants. Emotional states and pluses were also measured as part of this study. Visual exposure to plants showed recovery from stress within five minutes, thus keeping workers emotional status in the "norm" and helping to keep pluses and blood pressure "lower". Keeping things low seems to be the main benefit of live plant foliage.
Plants have been accredited to lowering operations and maintenance cost while contributing to "green building" design considerations. Plants cool the working environment by a process called transpiration, which, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, decreases air temperature in offices by ten degrees. Plant transpiration in a typical setting has shown to release moisture, creating a humidity level that exactly matched the recommended human comfort range of 30-60 percent. While another study concludes that in an absence of plants, the humidity level runs below that which is recommended for human comfort. When the humidity of a business structure is too low, costly materials such as wood become damaged and cracked. When the humidity is too high the condensation that collects on windows and exterior walls can result is costly repairs.
Plants in the workplace attract, retain and enhance the attitude of today's selective employees. In order to draw in and keep top employees, the workplace must include aspects of what inspires the employees during "off" time. Several polls conducted showed that two thirds of the American working force cite gardening as their favorite hobby. Perhaps this "green thumb" passion explains why placing green plants within the workplace is highly effective in promoting employee satisfaction. One of the reasons that several corporations continue their interior landscape contracts, is the positive effect that live plants have on their employees attitude and the retention of good workers.
Plants have been known to reduce distraction due to noise in a business setting. Properly placed plants quite the noise of any busy office or business setting. By placing a small interior "hedge" of plants around a workplace, you can reduce noise up to 5 decibels! I'm sure almost everyone can relate to being "annoyed" into taking a break due to the common audible elements of a busy workplace. Several corporate buildings are replacing dull, stale cubicles for "tree walls" and other innovative plant groupings all in a effort to reduce the costly "decibel distraction factor".
If for no other reason, choose live plants to boost the appearance and condition of your property. Live plants positively enhance ones perceptions and contributions to the well being of others. People also perceive a building with interior plants as a more expensive looking , more welcoming, and a more relaxed place to be. Conversely, several studies showed that people's perceptions of a building are less positive in the absence of plants.