'Do preserved trees and green walls still produce oxygen?' or 'Will my plants still give me fresh air?'. These are questions that we get a lot, and rightfully so. These are good questions to ask when talking about plants, trees or green walls, because health is probably the biggest reason to invest in these products in the first place. On this page we'll answer these questions. For convenience sake I will refer to plants and trees on this page and not green walls, but everything stated goes for green walls as well.
If you're interested in more detail about the benefits of preserved products, to the opposite of living or artificial products, please read to our other blog 'Introduction to Preserved Trees'. Also at the end of this page you'll find the sources of our claims in this blog.
Oxygen and fresh air
Plants and trees to produce oxygen and fresh air, to do this they need to be alive. So the simple and short answer to the first question is 'No', Preserved plants and trees do not produce oxygen or fresh air.
You might have guessed it, there is a 'but', a few actually. We'll look at how much oxygen plants produce and how much humans take in. After that we'll see many plants are needed to purify the air in a room. To finish this article we'll look at, what we think is the most important, the positive psychological effects that plants have, and preserved plants as well.
How much oxygen do plants produce?
Plants produce oxygen as they grow. How much plants produce is depended on many factors and almost impossible to measure in a home or office space. As Stanley J. Kays of the University of Georgia says: “It is not yet possible to project the true potential of plants for purifying indoor air,” (Claudio, 2011).
But to answers this question let's keep an average. A medium-sized plant produces around 5 milliliters of oxygen per hour (Keller, 2017). This means around 120 milliliters per day, not taking into account that the process of plants producing oxygen is different and less at night.
How much oxygen do humans take in?
Humans breathe in around 550 liters of pure oxygen per day (Contributors, 2020). Compare that to the maximum of 120 milliliters per day that plants produce and we can see that a lot of plants are needed to improve the air quality for us.
How many plants are needed to improve air quality?
Let's say we want to place average to bigger sized plants in our 8 x 8 meters office space. Research says that to improve the air quality, you would need around 16 to 32 plants (“Air Purifying Plant Numbers – How Many Plants For Clean Air Indoors”, 2020)!
Now we still have to put people in the office. Our office can hold quite a few people and all of them are breathing and taking in the oxygen that the plants produce. Just imagine how much more plants you would need to benefit from the purification of the plants.
The best way to purify and improve your air quality is still by letting exterior air inside, by opening a window or door (Heid, 2018).
Psychological effects
What is more important to us, because all plants, trees and green walls have this, is the positive effects of greenery. Research has shown that places with plants an
d trees have the following effects (Hillside, 2019):
Relieves stress
Improves mood
Improves concentration
Improves energy
More productivity
Calming environment
All of this is acquainted with the presence of plants and trees, together with the psychology of the color green (Cherry, 2019). They don't need to be alive for these benefits and so it can be preserved plants, trees or green walls.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you've found this blog interesting and found out why we're passionate about preserved products.
Preserved products are a better choice for when you want 100% natural plants or trees. You're not willing to keep spending through the years. Without loss of quality and loss of benefits!
Thank you very much for reading. Hopefully we can assist you with your project where you can use preserved products. When you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask us.
Sources
Air Purifying Plant Numbers – How Many Plants For Clean Air Indoors. (2020, 23 March). Consulted on 26 May 2020, https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/hpgen/how-many-plants-for-clean-air-indoors.htm
Cherry, K. (2019, 24 September).How Does the Color Green Impact Mood and Behavior?Consulted on 26 May 2020, https://www.verywellmind.com/color-psychology-green-2795817
Claudio, L. (2011, 1 October).Planting Healthier Indoor Air. Consulted on 26 May 2020, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3230460/
Contributors, H. (2020, 27 January).How much oxygen does a person consume in a day? Consulted on 26 May 2020, https://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/respiratory/question98.htm
Heid, M. (2018, 17 January).You Asked: Can Indoor Plants Really Purify the Air? Consulted on 26 May 2020, https://time.com/5105027/indoor-plants-air-quality/
Hillside. (2019, 18 October).Psychological Benefits of Plants & Horticulture Therapy. Consulted on 26 May 2020, https://hside.org/plants-improve-mental-physical-health/
Keller, A. (2017, 21 July).How much Oxygen do my House Plants Produce? Consulted on 26 May 2020, https://plantify.co.za/blogs/my-plant-decor/how-much-oxygen-do-my-house-plants-produce