TED Talk of the Week: How to Grow Fresh Air
Researcher Kamal Meattle shares his recipe for cleaner indoor air: arranging three common houseplants in specific positions.
Kamal Meattle's New Dehli office is a model of green technology - and it all comes down to three common houseplants. After being diagnosed as allergic to the smoggy New Delhi air, Meattle set about finding the secret formula for making measurably cleaner indoor air. With a background in green architecture, the researcher was just the man for the job.
The three plants that held the key to improving air quality each serve a different purpose. The first removes CO2 and turns it into oxygen during the day, and the second does the same - but at night. The third plant removes formadehyde and other volatile chemicals from the air.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
5 Herbs and Veggies that Love Growing Indoors
Top Five Greenest Countries in the World [LIST]
Coming Soon: The Smart Garden For Your Kitchen Counter
This TED Talk of the Week comes ahead of International Mother Earth Day, a day to focus on building sustainable, healthy environments. Meattle's office park has been dubbed "the healthiest building in New Delhi," with over 1,200 plants cleansing the air for some 300 building occupants. Studies have found that its inhabitants boasted higher blood oxygen levels, better respiration and less eye irritation. Sounds like a recipe worth trying.
