Peace Lilies and Pollution
The NASA study focuses on common air pollutants that tend to be given off by manmade materials. These are chemicals that become trapped in the air in enclosed spaces and can be bad for your health if breathed in too much.
One of these chemicals is Benzene, which can be naturally given off by gasoline, paint, rubber, tobacco smoke, detergent, and a variety of synthetic fibers. Another is Trichloroethylene, which can be found in paint, lacquer, glue, and varnish. In other words, it’s commonly given off by furniture.
Peace lilies have been found to be very good at removing these two chemicals from the air. They absorb the pollutants from the air through their leaves, then send them to their roots, where they’re broken down by microbes in the soil. So, this makes using peace lily plants for air purification in the home a definite plus. Do peace lilies help with air quality in any other ways? Yes, they do. In addition to help with air pollutants in the home, they also give off a lot of moisture in the air. Getting clean air with peace lilies can be even more effective if a lot of the pot’s topsoil is exposed to the air. Pollutants can be absorbed straight into the soil and broken down this way. Trim away the lowest leaves on your peace lily to allow lots of direct contact between the soil and the air. If you want to get clean air with peace lilies, simply add these plants to your home.
