Snake Plants Are Toxic To Humans?
The snake plant is a native houseplant in Asia and Africa. The evergreen sword-shaped leaves that grow upright can be seen as artificial foliage. Snake plants are easy to care for, are pleasing to the eye, and require little water to survive. Even though they’re relatively safe, they are mildly toxic if eaten. If you eat large quantities of their leaves you can cause swelling and numbness on the tongue. It’s a good idea to keep this plant away from children and animals that eat it.
There are green leaves with grey or silver horizontal streaks on the most common snake plant. In low-light areas, this plant grows several feet tall. One of the most popular reasons people include snake plants in their décor is that they’re low maintenance and don’t need much attention to grow. They can survive in relatively dry environments indoors and outside.
Here are some important things to consider about; Don’t overwater. This plant is weak due to its excessive amount of water. If you place a snake plant in a well-drained pot, it can cause rotting. The soil should only be watered when it is completely dry.
Indirect sunlight is best. The best time to plant snake plants is during the day. In bright window areas it can grow in darker corners. The leaves of the plant can become floppy if the shade is completely shaded. The usefulness of snake plants is similar to that of visually appealing plants. It is possible to grow indoors and outdoors with little to no maintenance.
Can a Snake Plant Improve the Air Quality in Your Home?
Remove toxic pollutants
Snakes are well-known for their ability to assist in the removal of hazardous air pollutants. Snake plants can absorb cancer-causing toxins, but only in modest amounts. Snake plants can absorb and eliminate harmful chemicals, making them a good defense against airborne allergens.
Benzene
The interior environment is a common source of benzene exposure. Heating and cooling systems, solvents, paints, and cigarettes are just a few examples. Take a look at this informative article from the World Health Organization. If you are exposed to benzene, you may get headaches, nausea, and vomiting. Chronic exposure to benzene causes malignancies of the blood cells, as evidenced by numerous studies. You can grow snake plants in your home in addition to taking other precautions. Benzene is absorbed by it. According to the NASA study, the snake plant (Mother-in-Tongue) Law’s eliminated 52.6 percent of the toxins in a confined chamber. The initial p/m was 0.156, but after 24 hours, it had dropped to 0.074 p/m in the final reading.
Formaldehyde
Cooking, smoking, cosmetics, paints, and motor fuel combustion are all significant contributors of formaldehyde emissions. Newly constructed homes, flooring, furnishings, and other new things must all be evaluated. Formaldehyde is also on the WHO’s list of indoor air quality guidelines.
This formaldehyde instructional piece from the ATSDR contains a wealth of information. Formaldehyde levels that are too high cause respiratory problems as well as discomfort in the eyes, nose, and throat. Chronic exposure can lead to rare malignancies of the nose and throat.One of the best indoor plants for lowering formaldehyde levels is the snake plant! A single plant in the NASA experiment eliminated 31,294 micrograms after a 24-hour exposure.
Xylene
Humans are poisoned by xylene, as has been widely documented here. Paint, varnish, rust preventives, paint thinners, removers, and insecticides can all expose you to it. If xylene is present in a small concentration in the environment, it will irritate your nose and throat. Snake plants, as well as a variety of other houseplants such as mum and areca palm, can help you get rid of xylene.
Trichloroethylene & Toluene
Trichloroethylene (TCE) is found in printing inks, lacquers, paint removers, varnishes, and adhesives. Here’s a list of some TCE products. TCE is carcinogenic and can irritate the upper respiratory tract and cause nausea, fatigue, and headache.
Toluene affects mental health and causes dysfunction in the nervous system. Long-term exposure to toluene is also known to cause necrosis. It also affects the reproductive system of females and causes developmental problems in children. Gasoline, solvents in paints, plastic and soda bottles, paint cosmetics are its major source.
To lower the risk of Trichloroethylene and Toluene exposure, grow a snake plant indoors. In the experiment, it removed up to 13.4 percent of TCE in 24 hours of exposure.
It Absorbs Carbon Dioxide In The Night
It’s a source of consternation and skepticism because snake plants, like any other plant, consistently emit oxygen at night. We can’t uncover any solid proof to back this up. Snake plants, on the other hand, do reduce CO2 levels even at night.
The ability to accomplish a certain sort of photosynthesis is due to Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM). Drought-tolerant, dry-climate plants, such as succulents, are examples of CAM plants. In hot weather, they open their stomata in the evening to reduce water loss.
It Is Effective Against Allergies
A plant that releases oxygen, reduces CO2, and absorbs hazardous volatile organic compounds can greatly lessen airborne allergens. The snake plant is one of these plants. Having indoor plants around you can help even if you’re using air filters and purifiers.
Visit the University of Hawaii Extension 6 website to read this informative article. Feng Shui and Protective Energy When it comes to feng shui, some people say the snake plant is a bad plant. It’s far from the truth. It brings protecting and cleansing energy to the home or business if it is placed in the right spot.
Sum Up
You may find the snake plant is toxic if it’s eaten by you. On the other hand it gives you so much benefits, and it filtered the air more naturally than an air conditioner or an air purifier that is damaging our planet with its freon. Drop your thoughts on the comment section bellow about snake plants!