실내 미세먼지 식물로 줄인다

Fine dust pollution is in the headlines here in Korea almost every day.
Some good news today -- local researchers have found some more plant species that can help to improve air quality when grown indoors.
Park Se-young has more.
Growing these plants indoors can help improve air quality.
According to a four-year study by the Rural Development Administration, the Guiana chestnut tree, also known as the "money tree," was the most effective at removing fine dust.
It was followed by spearflowers, sago palms, staghorn ferns and lemon cypress trees.
Through experiments completed in a 20-square-meter room with 55 milligrams of ultrafine particles per cubic meter, …the researchers found that growing three to five of these plants can reduce fine dust concentrations by 20 percent over a four hour period.
They also found that plants that have leaves with wrinkled backs were more effective against air pollution.
"We thought plants with fine hairs would be good, but too many fine hairs made the plants rather ineffective. Instead, it seems more fine dust was absorbed by wrinkled leaves."
Having these plants at home can provide a safe way to improve air quality.
"Humidifiers are hard to clean and come with risks of bacteria, so I decided to grow plants. They purify and humidify the air, which is good for homes with children."
For the growth and purifying effect of plants, it helps to wipe the upper surfaces of leaves for photosynthesis while leaving the lower surfaces as they are.
Also, a vertical garden system, or "Bio Wall," was found to be about seven times more effective at air purifying than individual plant pots.
The Rural Development Administration also recommends the Spanish moss, common ivy and bamboo palm for purifying air at home.
Park Se-young, Arirang News.