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Click for full-size image Environmentalists have labored mightily to clean up the Great Outdoors. But what about the Great Indoors? Furniture, fabrics, paint, and particleboard all leach volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which may cause eye and throat irritation, headaches, asthma, even cancer.
Luckily, there's a remedy. Potted plants pull chemicals into their leaves and roots, where they’re broken down and rendered harmless. Two 12- to 14-inch plants in a 100-square-foot room can significantly shrink VOC levels, says Bill Wolverton, coauthor of the upcoming book Plants: How They Contribute to Human Health and Well-Being. Rubber plants, Janet Craig, English ivy, Ficus alii, and Boston fern all work well. And try expanded clay pebbles instead of soil -- Wolverton says these can be up to 50 percent more effective in cleaning the air.
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