Last summer I read this great article in the New York Times and thought I’d pass the info on because I think it’s really important and useful! I’ve summarized it below:
It is common knowledge that indoor air on Earth is typically far more polluted than the air outside. Back in the late 80’s, NASA was studying houseplants as a way to purify the air in space facilities. In that research they found several plants to be highly effective in filtering out common volatile organic compounds. The most effective plants are also the most common: devil’s ivy, peace lilies, Pleomele, gebera daisies and snake plant, most often referred to as “mother-in-law-tongue.” Two other plants, the ficus and Japanese aralia, are also effective. Dr. Clifford W Bassett, an allergist at New York University School of Medicine says that a good rule of thumb is to have one plant for roughly every 100 square feet of living space.
Great advice!