If you are an avid gardener that loves indoor plants but also a smoker, you may have wondered what impact secondhand smoke can have on them. Houseplants are often used to keep indoor air cleaner, fresher, and even filtered of toxins.
So what does smoke from cigarettes do to their health? Can plants filter cigarette smoke?
Does Cigarette Smoke Affect Plants?
Studies have already found that the smoke from forest fires
negatively impacts trees that survive big blazes. The smoke seems to decrease a
tree’s ability to photosynthesize
and grow efficiently.
There have also been a few studies about how cigarette smoke
affects the growth and health of indoor plants. One small study found that
plants exposed to cigarette smoke for 30 minutes per day grew fewer leaves.
Many of those leaves browned and dried out or dropped off sooner than leaves on
plants in a control group.
The studies on plants and cigarettes are limited, but it
does seem that at least concentrated doses of smoke can be damaging. These
small studies confined the plants to small areas with lit cigarettes, so they
do not exactly mimic what a real home with a smoker would be like.
Can Plants Filter Cigarette Smoke?
A recent study found that plants can absorb nicotine and
other toxins from cigarette smoke. This may indicate that plants and smoking
cigarettes could be a way to filter
indoor air to make it healthier for human residents.
In the study, researchers exposed peppermint
plants to cigarette smoke. After just two hours, the plants had high levels
of nicotine in them. The plants absorbed nicotine from the smoke through their
leaves but also through their roots. It took time for the level of nicotine in
the plants to go down. After eight days, half of the original nicotine remained
in the mint plants.
What this means is that you could use plants to absorb
toxins from cigarette smoke and the air in general. Plants are capable of
trapping and even holding onto nicotine and other substances in the air, soil,
and water. That said, too much smoke in a small area could have more
detrimental effects on your plants rather than the other way around.
It’s always better to smoke outdoors, if at all, to avoid
any health related issues to you, others, or your plants.
If you are an avid gardener that loves indoor plants but also a smoker, you may have wondered what impact secondhand smoke can have on them. Houseplants are often used to keep indoor air cleaner, fresher, and even filtered of toxins.
So what does smoke from cigarettes do to their health? Can plants filter cigarette smoke?
Does Cigarette Smoke Affect Plants?
Studies have already found that the smoke from forest fires
negatively impacts trees that survive big blazes. The smoke seems to decrease a
tree’s ability to photosynthesize
and grow efficiently.
There have also been a few studies about how cigarette smoke
affects the growth and health of indoor plants. One small study found that
plants exposed to cigarette smoke for 30 minutes per day grew fewer leaves.
Many of those leaves browned and dried out or dropped off sooner than leaves on
plants in a control group.
The studies on plants and cigarettes are limited, but it
does seem that at least concentrated doses of smoke can be damaging. These
small studies confined the plants to small areas with lit cigarettes, so they
do not exactly mimic what a real home with a smoker would be like.
Can Plants Filter Cigarette Smoke?
A recent study found that plants can absorb nicotine and
other toxins from cigarette smoke. This may indicate that plants and smoking
cigarettes could be a way to filter
indoor air to make it healthier for human residents.
In the study, researchers exposed peppermint
plants to cigarette smoke. After just two hours, the plants had high levels
of nicotine in them. The plants absorbed nicotine from the smoke through their
leaves but also through their roots. It took time for the level of nicotine in
the plants to go down. After eight days, half of the original nicotine remained
in the mint plants.
What this means is that you could use plants to absorb
toxins from cigarette smoke and the air in general. Plants are capable of
trapping and even holding onto nicotine and other substances in the air, soil,
and water. That said, too much smoke in a small area could have more
detrimental effects on your plants rather than the other way around.
It’s always better to smoke outdoors, if at all, to avoid
any health related issues to you, others, or your plants.