Top Plants for Improving Indoor Air Quality
NASA and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA) completed a study of houseplants’ ability to scrub the air of pollutants and improve air quality in sealed indoor environments. The NASA Clean Air Study was commissioned to find ways to clean air in space stations, but the results are highly relevant to modern, tightly-sealed, energy-efficient homes as well.
They found that the plants listed below not only remove carbon dioxide and add oxygen and humidity to the air (as all plants do), but were particularly good at removing benzene, formaldehyde and/or trichloroethylene from the air. Also notable NASA’s recommendation to use 6-to 8-inch diameter containers for each plant, since the exposed soil surface area is also important in filtering indoor air; microorganisms in the soil are able to absorb toxins as well as the plant itself.
As homes become more tightly sealed and energy efficient, the problem of indoor household pollutants grows. Everything from household cleaners to carpet and treated wood can release toxic compounds into the indoor air we breathe daily. As these pollutants build up, they can reach dangerous levels and cause health problems for occupants, a condition known as “Sick Building Syndrome.”
The List of Air Filtering Plants:
- Bamboo palm or reed palm (Chamaedorea sefritzii)
- Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema modestum)
- Cornstalk dracaena (Dracaena fragans ‘Massangeana’)
- Elephant ear philodendron (Philodendron domesticum)
- English Ivy (Hedera helix)
- Gerbera Daisy or Barberton daisy (Gerbera jamesonii)
- Golden pothos or Devil’s ivy (Scindapsus aures or Epipremnum aureum)
- Heartleaf philodendron (Philodendron oxycardium, syn. Philodendron cordatum)
- Janet Craig dracaena (Dracaena deremensis ‘Janet Craig’)
- Peace lily (Spathiphyllum ‘Mauna Loa’)
- Pot Mum or Florist’s Chrysanthemum (Chrysantheium morifolium)
- Red-edged dracaena (Dracaena marginata)
- Rubber Plant (Ficus elastica)
- Selloum philodendron (Philodendron bipinnatifidum, syn. Philodendron selloum)
- Snake plant or mother-in-law’s tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Laurentii’)
- Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
- Warneck dracaena (Dracaena deremensis ‘Warneckii’)
- Weeping Fig (Ficus benjamina)
