Having plants indoors improves mood and even health, according to studies. Now, Australian scientists have discovered that the boa constrictor (Epipremnum aureum) and other indoor plants can filter carcinogenic toxins from the air, such as benzene (derived from gasoline). They would act as extra protection in more polluted places, such as urban centers.
In a greenhouse, researchers from the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) and company Ambius found that indoor plants are highly effective at removing pollutants associated with cancer risk.
To be more precise, the removal of benzene from the surrounding air was 85.9% in eight hours of the experiment, according to the internal report – not yet published in a scientific journal.
“Plants not only remove most pollutants from the air in a matter of hours, they also remove the most harmful gasoline-related pollutants from the air more efficiently,” says Fraser Torpy, associate professor at UTS and one of the study’s authors, in note.
Carcinogenic hazard from gasoline vapors
In the research, the authors specifically investigated the ability of plants to clean the air of gasoline vapors, considered a significant source of toxic compounds. Generally speaking, they are highest at and around gas stations, but they can reach indoors as well.
Among the compounds in gasoline are: benzene, toluene and xylene, known as BTX. “Benzene is a colorless liquid, with a sweet smell and very flammable, which evaporates quickly, being absorbed mainly through breathing and the skin (especially if it is injured)”, explains the National Cancer Institute (Inca).
In fact, benzene is already recognized as a carcinogenic chemical agent, related to various types of cancer. This is the case with leukemia when the patient is chronically exposed to this carcinogenic toxin. On a smaller scale, breathing gasoline vapors can also cause other complications that impact the individual’s quality of life, such as:
- Lung irritation;
- Headaches;
- Nausea;
- Asma.
Which plants remove carcinogenic toxins from the air?
To understand how plants help to improve air indicators, the scientists designed a greenhouse, where plants already known for their phytoremediation abilities were allocated. In other words, species that are used to clean up contaminated soil, air and water. Among them were:
- chlorophytum (Chlorophytum comosum);
- boa constrictor (Epipremnum aureum);
- sing (Syngonium podophyllum).
While the findings are quite optimistic, more studies are still needed to measure the real-life impact of air filtration (effectiveness). So far, researchers have found efficacy in an ideal, controlled setting, and it may vary when other factors are included. In parallel, other research teams are trying to understand how the study of plants can help in the development of new drugs against cancer.
