Indoor air fresheners are a major source of toxic air pollution. Toxic ingredients are added to these products as binders that help disburse and preserve fragrance. Because fragrance is considered a trade secret by the USDA, companies are not required to list these toxic chemicals on their product labels.
There are many hidden toxic chemicals in commercial air fresheners. Parabens are linked to breast cancer and hormone disruption, phthalates are linked to female reproductive systems damage as well as increased birth defects, formaldehyde is a known carcinogen. All of these are quietly increasing the rate of cancer and autoimmune problems.
A much healthier alternative is growing indoor succulent plants. These plants are highly efficient at scrubbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This process is known as CAM photosynthesis. It involves the tiny openings in leaves and stems opening up at night to collect carbon dioxide and close during the day to process it into an organic acid that the plant uses to create energy and release oxygen. Most plants release oxygen into the air during the day, but unlike other plants, succulents will keep releasing oxygen throughout the night. A night’s worth of fresh oxygen helps for a good night’s sleep.
Succulents also absorb toxins from indoor air. A research project by NASA in 2007 showed that succulents help to remove over 80% of toxic elements like formaldehyde from indoor air. Succulents also release water into the air effectively increasing the humidity in your home. This also helps you sleep better at night.
Another advantage with succulents is that they are easy to grow, and are happy indoors where they don’t have to deal with temperature extremes. The demands of a succulent are low, you can almost completely ignore them. They love arid soil; a sandy or pebbly soil works best for the drainage they require. Sunshine is another requirement. Put them in a location where they will get about 4 to 6 hours of morning light. In the summer be sure to prevent scorching from too much afternoon sun. Fertilize using a cactus fertilizer about once a month depending on the type of succulent it is.
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