How much time do you Spend Indoors?

The proportion of the Australian population living in urban areas is between 80 and 90 percent, and we city-dwellers spend an amazing 90 per cent of time indoors. Indoors is where we breathe and meet most air pollution. Yes, contrary to what many building owners assume, air pollution is almost always higher indoors than outdoors. Outdoor-sourced urban air pollution is derived mainly from burning fossil fuels. These emission products are all toxic, some carcinogenic. Live green plants can absorb and degrade all these pollutants. Live indoor plants cleanse the air.

Live indoor plants not only cleanse the air, they have the ability to produce feelings in workers of pleasure, calm and relief from 'attention fatigue' - even if the indoor plants are unconsciously glanced at for only a few seconds. The introduction of plants into the workplace has been directly linked to reduced sick leave absences by over 60 per cent - resulting in a substantial increase in productivity. Other studies have linked the reduction in pain perception, anxiety, depression, and feelings of hostility to the presence of indoor plants. Better performance has been recorded on computer tasks, card-sorting and creative thinking by workers in offices where indoor plants have been introduced. Research studies have also found that potted indoor plants can reduce nitrogen oxide levels and dust levels. Indoor plants also help stabilise humidity and temperature, and reduce noise. Indoor air quality is an international health concern. Short-term increased health risks of urban air pollution include asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, strokes, heart attacks and sudden infant death syndrome. Longer-term (chronic) effects of urban air pollution include increased birth defects, more cardiovascular problems, some cancers and mental illness.

As air comes indoors it mixes with more pollution, from indoor sources. This includes more dust, higher carbon dioxide levels from human perspiration, more volatile organic compounds and, if gas appliances are present, more nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. This can produce feelings of stuffiness, loss of concentration and drowsiness. Offices are the home of volatile organic compounds which are outgassed continually from plastic or synthetic furniture, furnishings, paints, computers, copiers and the list goes on. Even at imperceptible levels, these pollution cocktails can cause loss of concentration, headache, dry eyes, nose, throat, 'fuzzy-head', or nausea. (Maybe this is why smokers like to go outside in the fresh air to smoke. Ever noticed how smokers seem to congregate around outdoor plants - maybe they subconsciously know these plants are continuously working to cleanse the air being polluted by tobacco smoke.) As you can see there are so many good health reasons to maintain indoor potted plants and there are financial benefits too. Did you know indoor plantscapes can save more money than they cost to hire?