Green plants attract poison of computers

Companies should encourage the planting of ornamental plants in the office because they eliminate harmful gases emitted by photocopiers, printers and air conditioners.

Most office staff cannot go outside for 80-90% of the day's work time. Scientists warn that toxic ozone levels in homes and offices can cause many health problems. This gas can cause inflammation, swelling and bleeding in the lungs. UN statistics show that about two million people worldwide die from indoor air pollution each year.

The eucalyptus is one of the plants that strongly absorbs ozone gas.(Photo: flickr.com)

Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania (USA) found that some plants can help us reduce ozone levels in the air. The leaves of the plant absorb toxic gases and transfer them to the roots - where the poison is turned into food. Three species of plants are notable: snakes, scallops (or yellow cardiac leaves) and spider plants. They are easy to grow, do not need much care, have lots of leaves and absorb large amounts of poison.

The team stressed that, although activated carbon helps people remove unwanted gases from the atmosphere, they are too expensive to use in large environments.

'In the context of indoor air pollution is becoming a concern across the planet, we need low-cost but easy-to-implement measures to eliminate or reduce the amount of ozone in the environment. Because indoor air pollution has a strong impact on developing countries, growing indoor plants is one of the most reasonable ways, 'experts say.