How do houseplants clean the air? A 1989 NASA study explains exactly how plants remove toxins from air by trapping them in their leaves, soil, and roots, and which houseplants clean air the best.

The study was designed to test air purification systems for the space station.

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If you're interested in learning more about the NASA study or the plants involved, check out the original papers on the subject:

http://www.wolvertonenvironmental.com...

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/ca...

And if you want to buy the last plant? It's scientific name is Sansevieria laurentii, but common names are both snake plant and mother in law's tongue.

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