Do House Plants Really Purify and Clean the Air?
The short answer is yes, according to one study. House plants can clean the air through photosynthesis, which is the process by which green plants (and even algae) converts light energy into chemical energy. The carbon dioxide we inhale and then exhale in rooms with plants is thus converted into fresh oxygen. House plants can also remove harmful toxins from indoor environments.
First published in 1989, a NASA experiment identified that certain plants grown indoors can clean the air and remove cancer-causing volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) such as formaldehyde and benzene.
It also turns out that plants with larger leaves produce better results. “The amount of leaf surface area influences the rate of air purification,” said Bill Wolverton, a former NASA research scientist who is responsible for that 1989 plant study.
