(HealthDayNews) -- Indoor house plants may do more than bring some greenery to the indoors; they can also help purify the air, according to the Rodale Institute in Pennsylvania.
Motorized appliances such as mixers and vacuum cleaners give off sparks that carry enough energy to fuse airborne molecules of nitrogen and water into formaldehyde, a common indoor air pollutant.
Many indoor houseplants absorb formaldehyde and convert it back to nitrogen and water. The plants that do this most efficiently are spider plants, English ivy, Boston ferns and chrysanthemums.
For an average 1,800-square-foot house, 15 to 18 houseplants in six to eight inch containers can improve air quality, according to a recent U.S. government study.
