by Lorelei Cohen

Created on: February 25, 2009   Last Updated: June 01, 2009

A two year study conducted by NASA has proven that common household plants are indeed helpful in removing harmful pollutants from the air around them. This means that the air within your home can be a little cleaner to breathe if you simply allow a few friendly little houseplants to come and share your humble abode with you. Houseplants help to purify the air!

You may be wondering why you have to clean the air in your home when you have worked so diligently to maintain a clean and germ free home? Well that extra housecleaning, and the household cleaning products that you have been using to do it, might actually be adding to the level of toxins contained in the air within your home. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) studies indicate that air levels within an enclosed area may be two to five times more polluted than that of outdoor levels, and in some cases, indoor air may actually be up to one hundred times more polluted than outdoor air levels.

So where does this indoor air pollution come from? Some is produced within your home and some arrives through improper ventilation systems. Chemical leakage within the home occurs from such common household items as rugs, paint, photo copiers, pesticides, plastics, pressed wood products, household cleaners, and even the very air fresheners designed to mask those annoying odors within your home. Cigarette smoking, radon gas leakage, mildew, mold are other indoor toxin contributors. Inadequate or faulty ventilation systems may also allow for the entry of harmful gases into the home.

During the early and mid 1900's these pollutants were not such a problem because building ventilation standards asked that fifteen cubic feet per minute of outdoor air be allowed for each person within the building. This usually allowed for ample fresh air within an enclosed area so as to prevent an excessive buildup of pollutants. However this all changed in the 1970's when the "1973 Oil Embargo" set off a chain of energy conservation measures that were to also tighten air quality controls within homes. After these measures were put in place, homes were designed and built to be much more air tight, and therefore energy efficient. The building ventilation standards were tightened to allow for only five cubic feet per minute of outdoor air per occupant, windows and doors were tightly sealed to prevent air leakage, and air vents, heating units and air conditioners were designed to minimize external air return within the home. This

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