Modern PURAIR® News
The latest news and helpful tips about Air Health.
Research into Natural Ways to Purify Air Quality
Through indoor air quality testing, furnace & duct cleaning, and commercial dryer vent cleaning, Modern PURAIR® aims to improve the air quality in your home and workplace. However, there are some calculated steps you can take to help improve your indoor air quality and stay healthier throughout the year.
Let’s start at the beginning…
Space is Dusty
In space, air doesn’t exist, at least not in the conventional sense we’re used to. Outer space is a void that exists between celestial bodies (like the earth) and contains low density particles of hydrogen and helium as well as low levels of electromagnetic radiation, magnetic fields, neutrinos, and dust (because dust gets everywhere, no matter what you do).
So what can space teach us about air quality?
Indoor air quality testing identifies a number of indoor pollutants that can be hazardous to our everyday health.
In the late 80’s, NASA underwent a 2-year study to learn how different plants can help purify air for astronauts during long periods of space habitation. The study showed that household plants not only absorb carbon monoxide but they also work to absorb other harmful gasses and can help to naturally purify the air in your home and office.
Dr. Bill Wolverton, a former senior research scientist for NASA, commented on the results and further studies: “We feel that future results will provide an even stronger argument that common indoor landscaping plants can be a very effective part of a system used to provide pollution free homes and workplaces.”
Send that Ficus into Space!
Based on the preliminary results from the study, NASA found around a dozen popular household plants are effective at removing indoor air pollution. The research led to some of the plants being scheduled to be launched into space as part of a program to build a biological life support system aboard future space stations.
Pull on your gardening gloves and prepare to get dirty!
Here are a few of the top houseplants that contribute to naturally purifying your indoor air quality:
Aloe (aloe vera)
Easy to grow, loves sun, and helps clear formaldehyde and benzene, often produced by chemical-based cleaning agents and inks.
Gerber Daisy (gerbera jamesonii)
They need lots of light but this colorful plant absorbs trichlorethylene, a chemical often used in dry cleaning, and benzene.
Snake Plant (sansevieria trifasciata Laurentii) -
Keep this in your bathroom. It’s excellent at absorbing formaldehyde which is common in cleaning products, personal care products, and toilet paper.
Red-edged Dracaena (dracaena marginata)
This fast-growing shrub removes xylene and trichlorethylene, which enters your home through lacquers, varnishes, and gasoline.
English Ivy (hedera helix)
Got cats? Hamster? Birds? Get some English Ivy! This sturdy little plant has the ability to reduce airborne fecal-matter particles.
Peace Lily (spathiphyllum)
Easy to grow and it tops NASA’s list for being the most effective plant when it comes to removing the three most common air pollutants.
