Cleaner Air for Your Office

Why is our air sick?• Super efficient heating and cooling• New synthetic building material,

furnishings• Bioeffluents

Sources of Chemical EmissionsFormalde-hyde

Xylene/Toulene

Benzene Ammonia Alcohols Acetone

Adhesives X X X X

Bio-effluents X X X X

Caulking X X X X

Ceiling tiles X X X X

Cosmetics X X

E. printers X X X

Floor coverings

X X X X

Paints X X X X

Particle board

X X X X

Copiers X X X

Stain/varnishes

X X X X

Wall coverings

X X X

SICK BUILDING SYMPTOMS

• Allergies• Asthma• Eye,Nose and throat irritations• Fatigue• Headache• Respiratory infections• Sinus congestion

How plants clean your air

Plants that work as hard as you!

• Want to remove:

– Formaldehyde ? – Boston fern– Xylene and toulene ? – areca palm– Ammonia? – Lady palm (raphis)

– Peace lily – acetone and ethyl alcohol

Plant choices – over 375,000 species on earth, known by 1.25 Million names!

How to choose?

• Light – at least eight hours of indirect or fluorescent lighting

• Water – How often do you want to maintain

• Space – Tall & slim, short & full, or huge• Temperature – Human comfort range• Resistance to pests

Areca Palm 8.5

Raphis or Lady Palm 8.5

Bamboo Palm

Rubber plant

Dracena Janet Craig

English Ivy

Dwarf Date Palm

Ficus Alii

Boston Fern

Peace Lily

Concerns?

• Toxicity – varies among individuals. Of ten listed, only ficus, ivies, and peace lily require caution.

• Mold – water sparingly

• Allergies – choose non-blooming plant, cover soil with decorative rocks

Conclusion

• Plants remove toxins and unhealthy microbes from the air

• Plants add oxygen and humidity• Plants create ambiance and improve

worker productivity