your life Plants first became known for their air-cleaning benefits after a


NASA study in the 1980s. Since then, scientists have continued to test different plants and their effects on indoor air pollution. In his book How to Grow Fresh Air: 50 Houseplants that Purify


Your Home or Office, Dr. B.C. Wolverton highlights the best plants for cleaning indoor air. “Houseplants are no longer luxuries, but essential to health. They are nature’s ‘eco-friendly’ living air-purifiers, with years of documented scientific evidence to prove it,” Wolverton says. So how do plants do this? According to Wolverton, the plants move


the air pollution to their roots where it’s turned into food for the plant. Plants also help keep mold and other bacteria out of the air, and they work as natural humidifiers, adding moisture to dry air. Just be sure to keep the leaves dusted (wipe with a moist cloth), so you don’t collect dust that could aggravate allergies.


ARECA PALM • Also known as yellow palm or butterfly palm.


• One of the best overall houseplants for removing all indoor air toxins.


Light: or


Care: Mist leaves regularly. Keep soil damp, but don’t let the plant sit in water.


INDOOR AIR SPOILERS


Formaldehyde: in pressed wood products like plywood and particle board in walls and furniture, tobacco smoke, textiles like upholstery, carpets, curtains and clothing


Benzene: in tobacco smoke, paints


Trichloroethylene: in cleaners, paints, dry cleaning, adhesives HEALTHY TIP


The average home needs about 15 air-cleaning plants.


Find 7 more high-performing plants at HealthyAdvice.com/Plants


RUBBER PLANT • Ranks high in removing formaldehyde.


• Can tolerate low light and cooler temperatures.


Light: Care: Let soil dry between waterings.


FALL 2010 | HEALTHY ADVICE 43


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