WEDNESDAY, Nov. 9 (HealthDay News) -- English ivy is a natural air purifier that removes mold and other particulate matter from the air, according to research presented this week at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology annual meeting in Anaheim, Calif.
Hilary Spyers-Duran, FNP, of West Coast Clinical Trials in Long Beach, Calif., and a colleague placed moldy bread and canine fecal matter inside containers and measured the particulate levels. After placing English ivy inside the containers, they again measured particulate levels at baseline, six-hour and 12-hour intervals.
Over a 12-hour period, the researchers found that English ivy reduced airborne mold by 78.5% and fecal particles by 94.25%.
"As airborne mold spores have been linked to a variety of serious illnesses,
English ivy could reduce indoor mold counts," the authors state. "Placement of English ivy is beneficial outside, where animal feces are more likely encountered. English ivy is a toxic plant and should be placed away from small children and pets that could accidentally ingest it."
Abstract #P250, P. 108
