Issue 119

6 • Grassroots with passion

4 natural air purifiers

that you should keep at home

Tan Kok Yam from Grassroots Toastmasters Club highlights the benefit of gardening by giving examples of 4 natural air purifiers. Reference terminology and technical terms are at the end of the page for further clarification.

From our famous Gardens by the Bay to our first UNESCO World Heritage Site Botanic Gardens, Singapore’s status as a garden city is fitting. In fact, it is common for most living in Singapore to see an expanse of greenery, trees, and shrubs outside their homes. Roof top gardens in flats and carparks are also becoming more widespread, where residents gather to experiment with gardening. I am one of such residents, having a rooftop garden near my place in Punggol. As I became more interested in gardening - trying to understand what horticulture is about in the broader scope of gardening can be daunting. Therefore, I am writing this article from an amateur plant hobbyist perspective, where I will share two aspects of plants that interest me – its benefit as an air purifier, and its effect on our mental wellbeing from the perspective of fengshui. Plants as air purifiers Plants can help to improve the air quality and remove pollutants from the environment. They release oxygen during the day in the presence of natural light through the process of photosynthesis. While at night, the plants uptake oxygen and release carbon dioxide, which is called respiration.

Some plants can also uptake carbon dioxide during the night as well because of their ability to perform a type of photosynthesis called Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM). These plants, when placed at home, can improve air quality throughout the day and helps people to sleep better at night. Having these oxygen-producing plants improve the air quality in our home as they give off oxygen at night as well. These plants can also act as air purifier by removing harmful airborne chemical such as Benzine, Formaldehyde, Xylene, and Ammonia.

There are many such plants and four are mentioned here, as they are hardy and easy to upkeep.

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