Simon is a young husband who writes Lifeline from the cool, green environs of Stony Hill, St Andrew.

His family has recently moved from Portmore and his wife has been very excited about the lush greenery that surrounds them. She even insists on placing potted and hanging plants in most rooms in the home, including the bedrooms.

Simon is concerned that plants located in bedrooms, in particular, may have an adverse effect on both children and adults. He asks Lifeline what we think about this matter.

This is very interesting as many Jamaicans like to keep plants inside their homes, and quite a few people keep 'pet plants' in their bedrooms.

There seems to be some disagreement as to whether the effects of keeping plants in the bedroom are positive or negative.

Some people will keep plants in the bedroom only if the room is big and the plants can be located away from the sleeping area (bed). Individuals who study the mood within homes (people who practise Feng Shui) feel that plants represent growth and vibrancy, which goes against the calm and restfulness required in the bedroom environment.

Though plants produce and release oxygen into their environment during the daytime, they produce an excess of carbon monoxide at nights, which is not healthy for us. This is a concern of many people.

Plants also compete during the nights for oxygen. How important is this competition? During nighttime, if more than one person occupies a bed, they also compete with each other for oxygen - and to a much more significant extent than any plant ever could.

Regarding the effect of indoor plants on air quality in a room, the most important influence they have is the ability to remove fumes and air pollutants (volatile organic compounds).

Plant respiration does affect the composition of the air around us. Plant respiration, which is affected by the surrounding temperature, occurs both day and night. During the day, there is a net absorption of carbon dioxide.

This has a very small, but positive, effect on the concentration of oxygen in the surrounding atmosphere during the daytime. As stated before, the presence of a person in the bedroom will always have a much more significant effect on the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in any room than any plant ever could. There seems to be several reasons why house plants are useful. These include:

Healthy plants are a source of clean air.

Some plants produce more oxygen at nighttime. These include orchids, bromeliads, spider plants, and aloe, which are very popular in Jamaica.

Most plants remove toxins such as benzene, formaldehyde, ammonia, acetone, and ethyl acetate from the air. House plants actually absorb these pollutants through their leaves and convert them to harmless substances. Findings now suggest that office plants can be a good antidote for 'sick building syndrome'. It has been measured that a single spider plant can remove 85 per cent of formaldehyde fumes from a closed room within 24 hours!

It is thought that keeping indoor plants can effectively absorb pollutants and improve the air quality in a home. Some plants that are effective in this manner include:

Philodendrons

Spider plants

Scheffelera

Dracaena

Orchids

Chinese evergreen

Golden Pothos

Norfolk Island pine.

Peace lilies, parlour palms, and chrysanthemums are good house plants that purify the air of biological and chemical toxins.

It is also known that the moisture given off by plants suppresses the formation of airborne microbes (germs) and helps to diminish the allergenic potential of a bedroom.

Green foliage soothes the human spirit and softens the hard edges in a room. Plants are pleasing to view and promote relaxation and even sleep!

They humidify the atmosphere and remove toxins from the environment, absorbing odours and fumes. Studies have shown that people with plants in their work environment have lower blood pressure and are 12 per cent more productive on the job than those who do not have plants in the office environment.

It is important to note that sick, uncared for plants cannot help us at all. Indoor plants must be trimmed from time to time, kept free of mites and insects, and cared for. So yes, Lifeline likes the idea of well-cared-for plants within the home and even the bedroom.

Write Lifeline:

PO Box 1731:

KGN 8

AJM