Effects of Plants

[Anchor Lead]

Many people struggle with fine dust pollution these days. Keeping plants indoors has been found to be effective in reducing fine dust levels. Here's more

[Pkg]

At this office, various flowerpots can be found on desks and literally all over the place. On days when fine dust levels are high, the dreary office turns into a small forest, to say the least.

[Soundbite] Kim Jeong-ha(Office worker) : "Things felt a bit stuffy in a regular office room, but here with all these plants, the air is better. It's nice."

An experiment was held where plants were placed inside an enclosed space where the concentration of ultra-fine dust particles measured 300 micrograms per square meter. After 4 hours, the pollution level was measured again and it had dropped by about half.

[Soundbite] Kim Gwang-jin(Researcher, Rural Development Administration) : "Fine dust is removed by being attached to the leaves or through the photosynthesis process involving tiny pores present on the backs of leaves. The pores are much bigger than fine dust particles and so are able to absorb them."

The Rural Development Administration will also analyze what effects outdoor flora such as roadside trees and garden plants may also have on reducing fine dust.