Modern interior decorating, furniture and life styles can wreak havoc on air quality in homes and offices alike. Known carcinogenic sources such as benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene expose those living and working there. That is the bad news.
The good news is that a single Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum) can clean the polluted air of a space measuring 10 square metres, or roughly a 30- by-30-foot room.
The stage was set by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Concerned that astronauts would be exposed to these and other toxic agents, they sought for natural solutions. So was borne the Clean Air Study, conducted in association with the Associated Landscape Contractors of America, to clean the air of space stations.
In 1989, they released the results of their investigations. Not only do photosynthesizing plants absorb carbon dioxide (CO₂) and release oxygen – the reverse of humans and other animals – but they actively absorb serious pollutants, namely the aforesaid benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene.