What plants should I get to clean my air?

Watch the video here, or follow along in real time on social media:

Click on bolded statements for links to research.

Video script:

The short answer to this question is to get 680 of any plant you like. 

The 1989 NASA study that’s often referenced as proof that plants can purify the air is wildly overstated. While it’s true that plants can remove some VOCs and carbon dioxide, this study only applies to a small, sealed, space station style environment. 

In a regular house, you would need about 680 plants to replicate those results. 

I do want to make it clear that it’s not the plants fault! It’s ours. Indoor air quality is 2-100 times worse than outdoor air because of US and all our breathing, cooking, smelly products, and a tendency to never open our windows. 

So, ventilate, avoid fragrance, use an air purifier, and get whatever plants you like because they make you happy. The research on that is actually solid.