Piante in casa

Indoor plants could save your life
Indoor plants do not only look and smell nice, they could save your life, claim scientists.


By Richard Alleyne, Science Correspondent
Published: 6:44PM GMT 05 Nov 2009

New research shows that ornamental plants can drastically reduce levels of stress and ill health and boost performance levels at work because they soak up harmful indoor air pollution.

Researchers have now identified five "super ornamental plants" which every workplace should have to clean up indoor air.

They include English ivy, waxy leaved plants and ferns.

According to a World Health Organisation report in 2002, harmful indoor pollutants represent a serious health problem that is responsible for more than 1.6 million deaths each year.

Indoor air is up to 12 times more polluted than outdoor air in some areas, with air quality affected by chemicals from paints, varnishes, adhesives, furnishings, clothing, solvents, building materials and even tap water.

These produce so-called volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, that have been shown to cause illnesses in people who are exposed to the compounds in indoor spaces.

Now horticulture experts in the US have tested a number of ornamental indoor plants for their ability to remove harmful VOCs from indoor air.

Stanley Kays, the lead researcher at University of Georgia, said some indoor plants have the ability to effectively remove harmful VOCs from the air and not only improve physical health, but also someone's wellbeing.

Adding these plants to indoor spaces can reduce stress, increase performance at work and reduce symptoms of ill health.

The research team tested 28 common indoor ornamental plants for their ability to remove five volatile indoor pollutants.

Of the species tested, purple waffle plant (Hemigraphis alternata), English ivy (Hedera helix), waxy leaved plant (Hoya carnosa) and Asparagus fern (Asparagus densiflorus) were rated best for removing air pollutants.

The purple heart plant (Tradescantia pallida) was rated superior for its ability to remove four of the VOCs.

Prof Kays, writing in the journal HortScience, said: "The volatile compounds tested in this study can adversely affect indoor air quality and have a potential to seriously compromise the health of exposed individuals."

The study concluded that simply introducing common ornamental plants into indoor spaces has the potential to significantly improve the quality of indoor air.

Prof Kays said: "As well as the obvious health benefits, the increased use of indoor plants in both 'green' and traditional buildings could have a tremendous positive impact on the ornamental plant industry by increasing customer demand and sales."


Piante in casa : fanno davvero bene
Confermato l'effetto benefico nelle abitazioni e in ufficio: purificano l'aria e riducono lo stress

Una felce. Una delle piante più efficaci nel rimuovere particelle nocive dall'aria
Una felce. Una delle piante più efficaci nel rimuovere particelle nocive dall'aria
MILANO – Si sa che le decorazioni vegetali, all’interno delle case, non hanno un ruolo puramente ornamentale, in quanto fungono da veri e propri filtri dell’aria che respiriamo. Ora però uno studio condotto presso la University of Georgia fornisce la conferma scientifica del valore delle piante di cui ci circondiamo a casa e in ufficio.

LA RICERCA – L’indagine ha infatti dimostrato che le piante da interno non solo sono in grado di preservare la salute di chi vive negli ambienti in cui esse si trovano, ma hanno anche effetti benefici sulle performance lavorative in quanto contribuiscono a ridurre significativamente i livelli di stress grazie alla loro azione purificante. Come spiegato da Stanley Kays, autore della ricerca,«alcune piante in particolare hanno la capacità di eliminare completamente dall’aria i cosiddetti VOC», i composti organici volatili, ossia quell’insieme di sostanze presenti nell’ambiente e responsabili di allergie, disturbi cronici e altre malattie che secondo i dati dell’Organizzazione Mondiale della Sanità causano oltre 1,6 milioni di morti ogni anno. Dai VOC deriva quindi l’inquinamento indoor, che in molti casi – dicono gli scienziati – tocca livelli che possono essere addirittura 12 volte più alti rispetto a quelli dell’inquinamento esterno.

LE PIÙ POTENTI – Dopo aver analizzato 28 piante ornamentali comuni, i ricercatori ne hanno individuato alcune super-potenti, ottime per purificare l’aria liberandola dalle sostanze volatili inquinanti. Si tratta dell’edera inglese, del fiore di cera e della felce. Di qualità superiore la Tradescantia pallida, considerata un eccellente filtro depuratore.

Si tratta dell’edera inglese, del fiore di cera e della felce. Di qualità superiore la Tradescantia pallida, considerata un eccellente filtro depuratore.

空気に良いと思われている観葉植物が有害な揮発性有機化合物を放出する場合もある

観葉植物は住宅やオフィスの美観に貢献するだけでなく、光合成により酸素を供給する、シックハウス症候群の原因となる揮発性有機化合物(volatile organic compounds：VOC)を吸着するなど、「空気をきれいにする」効果があると一般に考えられてきました。

しかし、いくつかの観葉植物はVOCを放出し、中には健康に悪影響を与えるものもあるそうです。また、プラスチック製の植木鉢からVOCが放出される場合もあるとのことで、部屋に観葉植物を取り入れようと思っている人は注意した方が良いかもしれません。

詳細は以下から。

Indoor Plants Found To Release Volatile Organic Compounds

ジョージア大学園芸学科のStanley J. Kays氏らによる研究では室内用観葉植物として人気の高い4つの植物の放出するVOCを特定し、その放出量を測定しました。アメリカ園芸学会のHortScience誌に発表されたこの研究では、VOCの発生原因と日中と夜間での放出量の違いも記録しました。

対象となった4種の植物はPeace Lily(スパティフィラム属のSpathiphyllum wallisii)・Snake Plant(サンセベリア)・Weeping Fig(ベンジャミン)・Areca Palm(アレカヤシ亜科アレカ連のChrysalidocarpus lutescens Wendl）と、すべてNASAにより空気清浄効果が認められた植物のリストにも載っている、人気の高い観葉植物です。
http://gigazine.net/index.php?/news/comments/20090907_indoor_plants_emit_voc/

ムラサキゴテン(紫御殿)

＼(^^ )　ツユクサ科トラデスカンティア属の花　( ^^)／
別名：セトクレアセア(Setcreasea)、パープルハート(purple heart)、Tradescantia pallida(トラデスカンティア・パリダ)、Setcreasea pallida(セトクレアセア・パリダ)

ムラサキゴテン(紫御殿) は、春～秋までの長期間に渡り、小さな濃桃色の花を咲かせ続ける這性の半耐寒性常緑性多年草です。
花弁は３枚で中央からシベが立ち上がります。雄シベの葯(ヤク、先端部)は黄色です。葉や茎、萼まで全草が鮮紫色なので花壇のアクセント用の観葉植物として用いられます。葉に厚みがあり茎や根が太いことから多肉植物として扱われることもあります。
学名が以前の　Setcreasea pallida（セトクレアセア・パリダ）から、トラデスカンティア・パリダ・プルプレア(Tradescantia pallida 'Purpurea')に変わりました。同じ科で名前が似ていて、間違えやすい花に、　ムラサキツユクサ(紫露草) があります。

一般名：ムラサキゴテン(紫御殿)
学名：Tradescantia pallida 'Purpurea'(トラデスカンティア・パリダ・プルプレア)
別名：セトクレアセア(Setcreasea)、パープルハート(purple heart)、
　　　　Tradescantia pallida(トラデスカンティア・パリダ)、
　　　　Setcreasea pallida(セトクレアセア・パリダ)
科属名：ツユクサ科トラデスカンティア属
原産地：メキシコ
草丈：10～50cm　花色：濃桃色　葉・茎・苞色：紫　花径：2cm
鑑賞期：4～11月　開花期：7～8月