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Virginia=20
I. Lohr and Caroline H. Pearson-Mims
Dept. of Horticulture and =
Landscape=20
Architecture
Washington State=20
University
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Impact of interior plants on relative humidity and=20 dust![3D"Office](3D"http://www.wsu.edu/~lohr/hih/air/office.jpg") ![3D"Computer](3D"http://www.wsu.edu/~lohr/hih/air/complabp.JPG") Particulate matter was measured around the rooms on various = surfaces=20 away from the plants. Dust was significantly lower = throughout both=20 rooms when plants were present than when they were absent. = Dust was=20 reduced by as much as 20% with plants. This study confirmed = that the=20 use of plants to remove particulate matter, which has often been = used=20 outdoors to control deposition, also is effective on the scale = present in=20 interiors. Clearly, water will transpire from plants that are added to a=20 room. What was not clear before this study, was whether the = amount=20 of transpired water was sufficient to make a significant or = meaningful=20 contribution to the overall humidity in the room. Some even=20 speculated that the increase might be so great that moisture = damage could=20 result. When plants were absent from the rooms used in this study, = the=20 relative humidity was very low, and often below the range of 30% = to 60%=20 recommended for human health and comfort. When plants were = added,=20 the relative humidity rose significantly, but not = excessively: in=20 one case, for example, relative humidity without plants averaged = 25%, and=20 with plants it averaged 30%. The following articles discuss the results of this = research. 1. Lohr, V.I. and C.H. Pearson-Mims. 1996. Particulate = matter=20 accumulation on horizontal surfaces in interiors: Influence of = foliage=20 plants. Atmospheric Environment 30(14):2565-2568. =
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