Purify Your Place With A Plant

The place we spend most of our time is in our home. Unbeknownst to most of us is that the majority of items in our own homes are excreting small amounts of toxic fumes. The best way to to battle this is to purify your home. Not with an electric air purification system you would buy at the store though. NASA has done a study on which plants purify air best. The following is an excerpt from the study and where the chemicals come from:

"The initial testing has been for the indoor purification of the air from the chemicals, Benzene, Trichloroethylene and Formaldehyde.

Benzene is a commonly used solvent in such items as gasoline, inks, oils, paint, plastic and rubber. Furthermore, it is used in the manufacture of detergents, explosives, pharmaceuticals and dyes.

Formaldehyde is found in virtually all indoor environments. Its major sources include urea-formaldehyde foam insulation, particle board or pressed-wood products. Consumer paper products, including grocery bags, waxed paper, facial tissue and paper towels, are treated with urea formaldehyde resins. Many household cleaning agents contain formaldehyde.

Trichloroethylene is a commercial product that has a wide variety of industrial uses. It is used in some printing inks, paints, lacquers, varnishes and adhesives.

In the NASA research it was determined that these plants are better than others for purifying the air indoors. The twelve plants tested were:

Bamboo palm, Chamaedorea seifritzii
Chinese evergreen, Aglaonema modestum
English ivy
Fiscus, Benjamina
Gerbera daisy, Transvaal daisy
Dracaena 'Janet Craig'
Dracaena 'Marginata'
Corn cane, Dracaena massangeana
Mother-in-law's tongue, Sansevieria laurentii
Peace lily, Spathiphyllum 'Mauna Loa'
Pot mum, Chrysanthemum
Dracaena 'Warneckei'

All these plants can be found at your local Home Depot garden center and wont add to your electric bill