Indoor Climate Experiment: How Quickly Office Plants Actually Improve Air Quality
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
In our comprehensive guide to ideal humidity we already covered how crucial the right indoor climate is for our health and productivity. But dry theory is one thing—hard data is another! We wanted to know exactly how much of an impact targeted greenery really has on a real office environment. Join our Data Project Manager, George Bandi, for an exciting experiment that reveals what plants can truly achieve in a standard meeting room.
Did You Know...?
Relative humidity can be described as the amount of water vapor in the air compared to the maximum possible amount at a specific temperature (Guarnieri et al., 2023). A complete article on humidity can be found under this link!
The ideal range sits rght between 40-60% (Wolkoff, 2018). Values outside of this sweet spot can negatively impact us for the following reasons:
Low humidity levels (<40%): The most common consequences of dry air are eye irritation, sore throats, and irritation of the respiratory tract and skin. These sensitivities actively increase the risk of certain infections.
High humidity levels (>60%): Air that is too humid can cause just as many problems as dry air. Excessive moisture creates perfect conditions for the growth of dangerous microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, fungi, and mold (Baughman & Arens, 1996).
A practical tool to illustrate this is the so-called "Sterling Chart". This diagram makes it incredibly easy to visualize the optimal humidity range. It shows at a glance exactly when ideal conditions for specific pathogens arise - and why we should always aim to stay right in the middle (40-60%).
With this diagram, the optimal humidity range can be visualized very easily. It shows at a glance the humidity levels at which ideal conditions for the growth of certain pathogens arise—and why we should stay right in the middle (40-60%).
George Bandi, Specialist R&D
Our Experiment 🧑🔬
Conducted by George Bandi, Data Project Manager
The Experimental Setup
To demonstrate the effect of office plants, we conducted a small experiment. For one week, we tracked the air quality in one of our meeting rooms, both with and without plants. The room continued to be used for meetings as usual. External factors, such as air conditioning and excessive ventilation, were kept to a minimum.
Analysis Results
A look at the data impressively shows what our green colleagues can achieve in such a short time. When comparing the measurement results from Day 1 (without plants) to Day 4 (with plants), it becomes clear that the air quality significantly improved:
TVOC (Total Volatile Organic Compounds): Airborne pollutants dropped by an impressive 59,8 %.
CO₂- Levels: Carbon dioxide decreased by 32,9 %. The bar chart clearly shows how the CO₂ level absolutely spiked on the second day without plants, and then immediately flattened out again after the plants were introduced on Days 3 and 4.
Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5): Exposure to fine particles stayed within the recommended range.
Relative Humidity: The plants noticeably aided in natural humidification. Humidity increased by 15,4 %, creating a significantly healthier indoor climate.
Virus Index & Temperature: Even the risk of virus transmission dropped by 10,5 % (measured from Day 2 to Day 4), while the plants slightly cooled the room temperature by 3,2 %.
Are you not amazed at how quickly air quality in enclosed spaces can deteriorate? The chart proves that critical peak values (especially for CO₂) were reached as early as the second day without greenery. Yet, by the fourth day, our plants had managed to intensively filter the air and restore a thoroughly healthy working atmosphere.
