New Study: 18 Plants For Cleaning The Air Of Your Home

Everyone knows that a healthy environment in the home is one of the keys to well-being and it does not have to cost a fortune to get air-filtration as houseplants contribute to it. There are some houseplants better than others at cleaning the air according to NASA who recently conducted a study.

Houseplants Remove Ammonia, Benzene, Formaldehyde, Xylene And Trichloroethylene

NASA has revealed which plants are most effective when it comes to removing formaldehyde, benzene, xylene, ammonia and trichloroethylene. These are all chemicals that have in the past been linked to effects on the health such as dizziness, headaches, and irritation of the eye.

The NASA study on the best houseplants to get rid of the nasty elements in the air around the home was led by Dr. B. C. Wolverton, who made the study more than 27 years ago. According to the results, two of the best choices are the Peace Lily and Florists Mum.

Use One Houseplant Per 100 Square Feet Of Space

The recommendations of NASA is to have one plant in the house for each 100 square feet of space, and while the study may be old now, it is thought to be one of the most accurate and comprehensive to date.

Formaldehyde is found in such items around the house as paper towels, napkins, synthetic fabrics, paper bags and even tissues; Xylene is often found in leather and paint industries, along with exhausts on vehicles, in rubber and leather. Ammonia is typically found in floor wax, window cleaner, fertilizer and smelling salts. Benzene comes from synthetic fibers, dyes, detergents, pesticides, plastic resin and rubber lubricants, among other things.

Symptoms And Plants To Help Avoid Them

Symptoms that come with formaldehyde include nose, mouth and throat irritation, swelling of the lungs and larynx.

Trichloroethylene symptoms include dizziness, vomiting, headache, coma, drowsiness, and nausea.

Xylene may bring about irritation to the throat and mouth, headache, dizziness, heart problems, coma, and kidney damage.

Ammonia can cause toxicity in cats and dogs along with other pets.

Benzene may cause confusion, dizziness, and drowsiness, irritation to the eyes, increased heart rate and in some cases loss of consciousness.

Well known and easy to get houseplants that may help to clean the air include the Peace Lily, Chrysanthemum, English Ivy, Broadleaf Lady Palm, Weeping Fig, Bamboo Palm, Flamingo Lily, Boston Fern, Spider Plant, Chinese Evergreen and Dwarf Date Palm, among others.