Innovative décor may prevent allergies and asthma

On September 21, design blogs are abuzz about Saratech Permasorb, an air-cleaning wallpaper to prevent "sick building syndrome" and air pollution-related illnesses including asthma and allergies.

The World Health Organization's (WHO) regional office for Europe noted that the March 5 Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health concluded, "respiratory disease kills one in every two thousand babies in Europe" with the "highest rates in the east."

The culprit is both outdoor and indoor air pollution.

Design blogs (PSFK, 3rings, Core77, Trendhunter) are noting their excitement over the German company Blücher Technologies' solution and new patent for Saratech Permasorb Wallpaper to keep lungs healthy especially for young children and those working in building construction.

The wallpaper material is made with tons of "tiny spherical absorbers, which are themselves filled with thousands of branching passages that resemble the interior of lungs. These open passages within the spheroids absorb and store pollutants, making this the first wallpaper that actually cleans the air," according to a Core77 post.

Bonus: the filtration process works from both sides "so the wallpaper will also suck chemical pollutants out of the walls, for those that live in older buildings."

Blücher Technologies explains on their site that the system will also rid a room of any odors and trace gases.

Plus there are other possible applications for the filtering textile: shoes, clothing and furniture.

Until the wallpaper hits the market, you might want to try greening your home with living and flowering greens, here is a list of recommended plants that clean the air adapted from a US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) study and the blog Zone10:

 - Bamboo Palm
 - Chinese Evergreen
 - English Ivy Hedera Helix
 - Gerbera Daisy
 - Janet Craig
 - Marginata
 - Mass cane/Corn Plant 
 - Mother-in-Law's Tongue 
 - Pot Mum - Chrysantheiums
 - Peace Lily
 - Warneckii 

For more information on Blücher Technologies, go to: http://bluecher.com/saratech/saratech.html