Despite the popular conception that plants are purifiers, plants have detectable effect on particle or gas pollutants, according to the latest test data from real-world homes. Belief that plants are effective air purifiers is widespread. Arguably the most frequently cited evidence is the NASA study on plants. It feels scientific, authoritative. This page cites it, this page, this page. […]
Tag: Formaldehyde
Is Asbestos a Problem in China?
Asbestos is a commonly used material in China that may be more dangerous than formaldehyde. So why do so few people talk about asbestos in China? One day a few years ago, a Chinese friend of mine asked me about jiaquan (甲醛). “Huh?” I had to look it up. Turns out it means “formaldehyde.” At that point, […]
Can Activated Carbon Remove Formaldehyde and other VOCs?
In a previous blog post, I wrote about how carbon can reduce VOCs. I tested activated carbon’s effectiveness at filtering out VOCs from cigarette smoke, and I also wrote about who actually needs activated carbon to reduce VOCs (hint: not everyone). One type of VOC that many people are concerned about and want to […]