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Facts About Office Plants

Author: Sheena Go

Many study shows that office plants improves the air quality to make employees more comfortable to work and reduces employee stress levels thus maximizing your business profits. Having plants in an interior setting makes the workplace a more desirable place to be. Greater job satisfaction due to a pleasing environment and inspires employees to be more productive and creative.

Plants have a benevolent effect on people and the spaces in which they live and work. In some hospitals, in a room with a park view really helps the patient recover more faster. It reduces the accumulation of dusts in your place and improving the air humidity. A group of experimental subjects from health problems like headaches, coughs, exhaustion and some eye irritation recovered and decreased problems about 30% after installing a few indoor plants in their places. In Norway a two year study proves decreasing of ailments: Fatigue 20% reduction, Headache 45% reduction, Sore/dry throats 30% reduction, Coughs 40% reduction, Dry facial skin 25% reduction.

NASA study founds that indoor plants reduces airborne molds for sick building syndrome in sealed office environments. They are air purifiers,they reduce levels of carbon dioxide, increase relative humidity, and reduce gassing levels of common interior pollutants. There are also some soil micro-organisms that contributes purification of the air around. Plants are a perfect tool to remove harmful substances from the air. They improve the smell, Indoor air can easily become stagnant and the resulting unpleasant smell can linger.

Plants can also reduce office noise. Office noises can lead higher levels of stress and distraction of employees. Plants are a big help to make employees less distracted from annoying noises and be more productive. Researches says that office plants can break up sound waves to take another direction making sound frequency minimized and reduced. In urban areas outdoor plants are used to obstruct traffic noise. Numerous strategically placed plants especially those with big and thick leaves can dissipate sound waves.

Another benefits of indoor plants is that they help cool the air around them through the process of evapotranspiration (the movement of water from the soil, through the plant and into the atmosphere). This is especially effective in tall buildings where atrium planting can certainly help with temperature regulation. Office plants are not just good in improving office environments to be more relaxing and comfortable and to look much better but it also helps to promote good health for the people around. Hiring office plants is the best way to brighten up your office and to make employees more productive.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ask-an-expert-articles/facts-about-office-plants-4544455.html

About the Author

Sheena is a Plant Design expert and has been into a plant designing over years and have had remarkable success in designing Office plants and hotels.

Ozone Free Air Purifiers

Author: EnviroCitizen

Ozone Free Air Purifiers      We all know that ozone is what helps protect the Earth from Ultra Violet rays, but not all of us know that ozone can actually be toxic when it's in the wrong place.

     Air purifiers are often actually ozone machines. These devices are not always safe and effective in controlling indoor air pollution. Health professionals, such as the American Lung Association, http://www.lungusa.org/ have alerted us to the danger. In particular, these devices have not been approved by the federal government for use in constantly occupied spaces.

     Ozone can be harmful when it's used in air purifiers. Its chemical properties make it react with organic materials found in our body, and potentially cause harmful health consequences. When inhaled, ozone can damage the lungs. Healthy people, as well as those with respiratory difficulty, can experience breathing problems when exposed to ozone. Exercise during exposure to ozone causes a greater amount of ozone to be inhaled, and increases the risk of harmful respiratory effects. Recovery from the harmful effects can occur following short-term exposure, but health effects may become more pronounced, and recovery less certain, at higher levels or from longer exposures. Ozone devices often use confusing terms to describe ozone. Terms such as "energized oxygen" or "pure air" suggest that ozone is a healthy kind of oxygen. Ozone is a toxic gas with vastly different chemical and toxicological properties from oxygen. Several federal agencies have established health standards or recommendations to limit human exposure to ozone.

     It is good to know that there are now air purifiers that are safe because they don't generate ozone. Negative ion generators are becoming popular. Interestingly, there is research that suggests that these machines may aid in the prevention of depression. Negative ion generators make hydroxyl ions, which are negatively charged combinations of hydrogen and oxygen. So far they have proven to be a good, safe alternative to ozone producing purifiers. Plants are another good air purifier. NASA has conducted several studies that prove houseplants to be very effective at cleaning the air because they take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen. They also cost much less than sophisticated equipment. For those who have allergies or experience "sick building syndrome", it is good to know that there are eco-friendly options out there to clean indoor air.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/science-articles/ozone-free-air-purifiers-3506050.html

About the Author

Envirocitizen.org is a comprehensive ecommerce website that combines robust commerce, content, and community.  We believe that we have created the most comprehensive site to date to make eco-friendly products, services, and information available to individuals who wish to live a green, more eco-friendly lifestyle.  Our site offers a very broad and diverse array of eco-friendly products as well as comprehensive, authoritative information and environmental education.  Additionally, users can enjoy the sense of community created by participating in our Forum.

Understanding No VOC Paint Solutions

Author: Audrey Smith

So I have been hearing a lot about VOCs recently. And not one to shy away from a perfectly confusing acronym, I have been looking into this one and trying to figure out if it warrants all the attention that it's getting. And guess what? It does. Apparently VOCs are volatile organic compounds--you preferred the acronym, didn't you? VOCs can occur naturally--trees and cows are huge contributors of VOCs--but the ones that occur naturally can be handled naturally. Funny, isn't it? Where we get into trouble is when the VOC count gets way too high and when it's in your home.

Too many VOCs deplete the ozone layer and help create smog and other environmental dangers. Most problematic is when they are in your home where they can adversely affect your family and pets. Low air quality--the EPA says that indoor air can be up to 9 times worse for you than outside--is the main contributor to Sick Building Syndrome. Illnesses such as throat, nose and eye irritations, and even cancer are the results of Sick Building Syndrome and have been linked to VOC and toxins.

So what things contribute to low indoor air quality and what are the alternatives? Paints are one of the huge offenders. Paints and all things to do with paints such as thinners, varnishes and coatings, contain solvents. These solvents house VOCs and other toxins. Remember that new paint smell? Well, those are actually the toxins and VOCs releasing into the air and reducing the quality of your air. The Paint Quality Institute has estimated that the VOCs in traditional paints make up to 10 percent of ozone depleting substances in the United States.

In the last few years paint manufactures have become sensitive to the impact of their products on the health of the consumer and the environment. In an effort to become greener, paint manufacturers have begun work to remove some of the toxic ingredients in their traditional paints to create no VOC paints or low odor paints. Many of these manufacturers are simply creating paint as they are used to doing and then removing the toxins. This is great, but it often creates a less than brilliant product--so we are back to the old problem of do I choose a product that is good for me or is just a good product.

Fortunately, technology is beginning to catch up, and a few manufacturers are creating great paint that is not only super on the walls, but also safe for your family and the planet. A renewed interest in child safe paint (paint that doesn't contain fumes that will damage your kids basically) has resulted in completely revolutionized products that outperform toxic paints in durability, coverage and can come in any color. So, now you don't have to sacrifice performance for health. So, when you're ready to add a splash of something wonderful to your walls do some double-checking. Make sure that it is a no voc, low odor paint, and keep the great stuff on your walls and the toxins out of your home.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/understanding-no-voc-paint-solutions-502369.html

About the Author
Audrey Smith is a family safety advocate with a passion for no VOC paint. She is also educates the public about child safe paints and low odor paints.

The Hazards of Indoor Pollution

Author: Green Alice
At least 70% of human time is spent indoors, and the urban residents even spend more than 90% of their time in the indoor environment, especially infants, the elderly and disabled people, who stay in the room for much longer hours. However, the concentration of air pollutants in indoor environment is generally 2 to 5 times more than that in outdoor environment. Since 1970s, the so-called "Sick Building Syndrome" (SBS) has emerged in some developed countries. This is the performance of the potential problems caused by indoor air pollution. Indoor pollution has become the third generation of pollution in the 21st century. The first generation of pollution was the coal smoke pollution caused by the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century. And the second generation of pollution was the photochemical smog pollution caused by the oil and auto industry in the 19th century. With the rapid development of society and economy, people in modern world have become to pursue high-quality life. The rapid development of China's real estate industry has brought the flourishing of the building decoration industry. However, a survey from the World Bank shows that, every year, China suffers a loss of 10.6 billion dollar caused by indoor pollution. Currently, the healthy problems caused by indoor pollution have become a prominent public health problem. According to its nature, indoor air pollution can be divided two categories: non-biological pollution and biological and microbiological pollution. Non-biological pollutants can be further divided into chemical pollutants and physical pollutants. Chemical pollutants are produced by building materials, decorative materials, household chemicals, combustion products, and so on These substances will emit toluene, xylene, vinyl chloride, formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds and ammonia, carbon monoxide, nitric oxide, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and other inorganic compounds. All of these chemical substances are on harmful on human health. And physical pollution mainly refers to the radioactive pollution generated by building materials, the noise from indoor and outdoor environment, and the magnetic radiation caused by home appliances. In addition, there is also other pollution caused by dust and respirable particulates. Biological and microbiological pollution refers to the pollution caused by garbage, air conditioning, indoor flowers, pets, carpets, furniture, etc, including bacteria, germs, dust mites, and so on. Indoor pollution can cause various kinds of irritating symptoms and allergic reactions, such as "Sick Building Syndrome" (SBS), "Building Related Illness" (BRI) and "Multiple Allergic Disease" (MCS). The main symptoms include respiratory and eye irritation, allergic pneumonia, allergic rhinitis, asthma, and so on. What's more, it will also affect the immune function and the nervous system.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/news-and-society-articles/the-hazards-of-indoor-pollution-3699073.html

About the Author
Green Alice is the freelance writer for e-commerce website in the chemistry. LookChem.com is just a place for you to Look for Chemicals! Our LookChem provide the most convenient conditions for the international buyers and let these leads benefit all the business person.
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