Though you wouldn’t necessarily associate NASA with indoor plants, the research institute did a study in the late ’80s on plant abilities to purify the air. A healthy home environment is vital to a person’s well-being, and houseplants contribute to it more than you might think. Their main benefit is acting as an air purifier, so it sounds only reasonable that NASA did a Clean Air Study, that found which are the best indoor plants at removing benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene, and ammonia from our surroundings – chemicals that have been linked to adverse health effects like headaches, dizziness, eye irritation, and others. NASA also recommended having at least one plant per 100 square feet (10 square meters), and although this research is quite old, it is still regarded by many as the most comprehensive and accurate to date.

It won’t surprise you to hear that the majority of people spend the bulk of their time indoors, whether it’s at home or working in an office environment. As such, it’s important to ensure that air quality is of a high standard, something that regular houseplants can help achieve. Back in 1989, NASA conducted a Clean Air Study in association with Associated Landscape Contractors of America and it was found certain indoor plants were very effective in filtering harmful toxins and pollutants from the air. Also, according to SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research), in 2016, the AQI (Air Quality Index) was 278 (poor) on Diwali and 315 (very poor) the day after. In 2015, it was 279 (poor) on Diwali and 313 (very poor) the next day for Mumbai and the AQI for other major cities was also poor in ranking. This trend suggests that the situation is going to be worse in upcoming years.

A follow-up study in 2019 confirmed that to make a substantial difference to the air quality inside your home, you would need a large number of house plants working together to clean the air – up to 93. But, with houseplants becoming an interior design trend that looks like it’s here to stay, we might as well choose one that will go some of the ways to improve the air we breathe, if not all of it.