Over the years, there has been quite a bit of debate over whether house plants really can filter indoor air by removing toxins and particles. In addition to removing some of the air polution, some believe they also offer some protection against electromagnetic radiation.

The New Ecologist made a list of the top 10 anti-pollutant house plants:

1. The Feston Rose Plant

2. Devil's Ivy

3. Phalaenopsis

4. English Ivy

5. Parlor Ivy

6. African Violets

7. Christmas Cactus

8. Yellow Goddess

9. Garlic Vine

10. Peace Lily

Bringing a bit of nature indoors with house plants is an excellent idea, both for your physical and emotional health. Living closer to nature can actually help you to live longer and hospital patients who have a view of nature recover from illness and surgery quicker than those who don't.

It was NASA, along with the Assocoated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA), that conducted the classic study on the benefits of plants on indoor air, and they reported that house plants were able to remove up to 87% of air toxins in a 24 hour period. they recommend using 15 to 18 "good-sized" house plants in 6 to 8 inch diameter containers for an 1800 square foot house.

NASA at Stennis Space Center also constructed a BioHome that uses bioregenerative technology with the ultimate goal of providing a life support system for permanent human habitation of space. Inside the structure are common house plants which NASA says serve as living air purifiers to absorb chemical pollutants resulting from synthetic materials in the living area.

If house plants are capable of cleansing air in the BioHome, imagine what they can do in your home!