Bamboo Palm: Health benefits as an indoor plant

bamboo palm health benefits and air purification

Bamboo palm

Plants are useful for removal of many harmful chemicals and pollutants from the air. Based on plants habitat they are widely divided as shade loving and sun-loving plants. Shade-loving plants are nowadays used widely as an indoor plant. The fashion of growing indoor plants is increasing nowadays. Indoor plants help in soothing the environment of the house, add good positive vibes in the house and also helps in removing harmful pollutants from the house.

Bamboo palm scientifically known as Chamaedorea seifrizii is a tropical palm. This plant is used as an indoor plant because of its good appearance. Besides adding an aesthetic sense to the surroundings this plant also removes certain harmful gases from the indoor environment.

Removes Toluene

Property and Sources:

Toluene is a colorless liquid having a sweet pungent smell. It is one of the most found indoor air pollutants in many households. The major source of toluene is building materials, lubricant, grease, running automobile gas from an attached garage, polish, lubricants and tobacco smoke, etc (1).

Health effects:

The harmful effect of toluene includes eye, nose and throat irritation, dizziness, intoxicated feeling, neurological and visual disorders (1).

Bamboo palm plants add moisture to the indoor air and also absorbs toluene from the environment thus helps in cleaning the indoor air.

Absorbs benzene

Property and Sources:

The burning of coal and other petroleum products emits benzene an organic compound. Benzene is clear colorless gas with a gasoline-like odor. The concentration of benzene in the atmosphere is constantly increasing in most of developed and developing countries mainly in the form of vehicular emission (2 and 3). Other sources of benzene are wood burning, paints, glues, furniture wax, lubricants, cigarettes smoke, and attached garages

Health effects:

Studies on animals showed the carcinogenic nature of benzene and also classified under genotoxic chemical because of its ability to alter the gene (2 and 3). Long-term exposure to benzene causes leukemia in adults. Pregnant women and children are more prone to benzene exposure. May causes miscarriage in pregnant women if exposed to a higher concentration of benzene (4). Bamboo palm plants help in removing benzene from indoor environments and thus helps in improving the air quality.

Absorbs formaldehyde

Formaldehyde is one of the oldest known indoor air pollutants. The concentration of formaldehyde as an indoor air pollutant is maximum than other types of air pollutants (5). The main source of formaldehyde emission is paints, furniture, automobile engines, burning biofuels, smoke from cigarettes, carpets, fiberglass, and cooking, etc.

Health effects

Formaldehyde is also considered as a carcinogenic that is on exposure to this gas may cause cancer. Formaldehyde also includes irritation of nose and eyes. Experiments on certain animals also prove the genotoxicity of formaldehyde. Planting indoor plants and proper ventilation the major steps in reducing formaldehyde toxicity from the houses and offices. Bamboo palm helps in the absorption of formaldehyde from the indoor environment and thus cleans and improves the indoor air quality.

How to grow and care a bamboo palm?

Bamboo palm is a beautiful indoor plant. The plant gives a nice tropical look to the indoor environment and also helps in removing certain toxic indoor air pollutants. Bamboo palm is a shade loving plant and proper aeration and watering are needed for its good growth.

Bamboo palm is an easy maintenance plant proper watering on regular bases and proper nourishment in the form of fertilizers during its growth season is sufficient enough.

A healthy bamboo palm can reach up to a height of 5 to 7 ft with a width of 3 ft having 10 to 15 fronds per stem. Regular cutting of brown dead leaves and occasional spraying of the leaves with mild detergent water helps in protecting the plant from mites and other infiltrations

Frequent Q & A

  1. How big bamboo palm grows?

 Ans. A healthy plant can reach up to 5 to 7 ft

  1. How often do you water a bamboo palm?

Ans. Regular and alternate day water during summer and winter respectively.

  1. Do bamboo palm clean the air?

Ans. Yes mainly toluene, benzene, formaldehyde, and xylene.