The
NASA Clean Air Study[1] was led by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (
NASA) in association with the
Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA). Its results suggest that certain common indoor plants may provide a natural way of removing
toxic agents such as
benzene,
formaldehyde and
trichloroethylene from the air, helping neutralize the effects of
sick building syndrome.
The first list of
air-filtering plants was compiled by
NASA as part of a clean air study published in 1989,
[2][3][4] which researched ways to clean air in
space stations. As well as absorbing
carbon dioxide and releasing
oxygen, as all
plants do, these plants also eliminate significant amounts of
benzene,
formaldehyde and
trichloroethylene. The second and third lists are from
B. C. Wolverton's book
[5] and paper
[6] and focus on removal of specific chemicals.
NASA researchers suggest efficient air cleaning is accomplished with at least one plant per 100 square feet of home or office space. Other more recent research has shown that micro-organisms in the potting mix (soil) of a potted plant remove benzene from the air, and that some plant species also contribute to removing benzene.
[7]
