I never knew this until today. Here are the plants that will do this:
| Plant, Top remover of: | benzene (NASA)[1] |
formaldehyde (NASA)[1] (Wolverton)[4] |
trichloroethylene (NASA)[1] |
xylene and toluene[4][5] |
ammonia[5] | Poisonous or Edible?[6] |
|---|
| Dwarf date palm (Phoenix roebelenii) | No | Wolverton | No | Yes | No | Non-toxic to cats |
| Areca palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens) | No | No | No | Yes | No | Non-toxic to cats |
| Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata "Bostoniensis") | No | Wolverton | No | Yes | No | Non-toxic to cats |
| Kimberly queen fern (Nephrolepis obliterata) | No | Wolverton | No | Yes | No | Non-toxic to cats |
| English Ivy (Hedera helix) | Yes | Wolverton | No | Yes | No | Toxic to cats |
| Lilyturf (Liriope spicata) | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Non-toxic to cats |
| Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) | No | NASA | No | Yes | No | Non-toxic to cats |
| Golden pothos or Devil's ivy (Scindapsus aures or Epipremnum aureum) |
Yes | NASA | Yes | Yes | No | Poisonous if eaten or chewed by pets or children[7] |
| Peace lily (Spathiphyllum 'Mauna Loa') | Yes | Wolverton | Yes | Yes | Yes | Toxic to cats |
| Flamingo lily (Anthurium andraeanum) | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Poisonous[8] |
| Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema modestum) | Wolverton[9] | Wolverton[9] | No | No | No | Toxic to cats |
| Bamboo palm or reed palm (Chamaedorea sefritzii) | No | NASA, Wolverton | No | Yes | No | Non-toxic to cats |
| Broadleaf Lady Palm (Rhapis excelsa) | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Non-toxic to cats |
| Snake plant or mother-in-law's tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata 'Laurentii') |
Wolverton | NASA | Wolverton | Yes | No | Toxic to cats and dogs [10] |
| Heartleaf philodendron (Philodendron oxycardium, syn. Philodendron cordatum) |
No | NASA | No | No | No | Toxic to cats |
| Selloum philodendron (Philodendron bipinnatifidum, syn. Philodendron selloum) |
No | NASA | No | No | No | Toxic to cats |
| Elephant ear philodendron (Philodendron domesticum) | No | NASA | No | No | No | Toxic to cats |
| Red-edged dracaena (Dracaena marginata) | Yes | NASA | Yes | Yes | No | Toxic to Dogs and Cats [11] |
| Cornstalk dracaena (Dracaena fragans 'Massangeana') |
No | NASA | No | No | No | Toxic to cats |
| Janet Craig dracaena (Dracaena deremensis 'Janet Craig') |
Yes | Wolverton | No | Yes | No | Poisonous if eaten or chewed on by dogs[12] |
| Warneck dracaena (Dracaena deremensis 'Warneckii') |
Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Toxic to cats |
| Weeping Fig (Ficus benjamina)[13] | No | Wolverton | No | Yes | No | Poisonous if eaten or chewed by dogs, cats and horses[14] |
| Gerbera Daisy or Barberton daisy (Gerbera jamesonii) |
Yes | Wolverton | Yes | No | No | Non-toxic to cats |
| Pot Mum or Florist's Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium) | Yes | NASA, Wolverton | Yes | Yes | Yes | Poisonous if eaten or chewed by dogs, cats and horses[15] |
| Rubber Plant (Ficus elastica) | No | Wolverton | No | No | No | Toxic to Cats |
| Dendrobium orchid (Dendrobium sp.) | No | No | No | Yes | No | Non-toxic to cats |
| Dumb cane (Camilla) (Dieffenbachia) | No | No | No | Yes | No | Mildly toxic to children and pets if eaten or chewed[16] |
| Dumb cane (Exotica) (Dieffenbachia) | No | No | No | Yes | No | Mildly toxic to children and pets if eaten or chewed[16] |
| King of hearts (Homalomena wallisii) | No | No | No | Yes | No | ? |
| Moth orchid (Phalenopsis sp.) | No | No | No | Yes | No | Non-toxic to cats |
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_air-filtering_plants
