Yesterday when we spoke you recommended putting a corn dracaena in the bedroom
to help with my lung issues. Will other varieties of dracaena (e.g. Warneckii,
Marginata, Janet Craig etc.) work as well? It's a matter of availability, size
and aesthetics.

House construction involves many chemicals that out-gas, causing many
problems, such as emphysema, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, allergies
and severe chemical sensitivity. As the building-material toxicity
collects in our bodies, we are likely to develop one or more of the above
diseases. That largely depends on where in our bodies those chemicals
store. In my books, I stated what is necessary to remove toxins from
the body. Here, I share how to naturally remove those chemicals from
the air in your home.

If your house, apartment or condo was built, remodeled, renovated or
painted in the last 5 years, you can cure your house by placing 2-3
filament space heaters and an infrared generator in each room. Slightly
open one or two windows in each room and hallway. Remove all electronic
equipment and furniture. Turn on infrared generator, and heaters to
highest heat. Let rooms cook slowly for 3-5 days. If water-based paint,
24 hours will do but any other paint and construction material will
require 3-5 days to cure.

After curing rooms and halls, place fans in every room and hall, open all
windows and doors fully and let ventilate for 2-3 days with fans on high.

You may cure one room at a time so that you do not have to remove all of
the furniture from your home but be certain to keep the door closed and
sealed to the room that you will cure. Afterward, any mild outgassing
that may occur can be neutralized by plants.

NASA and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA) announced
the findings of a 2-years study suggesting that common indoor plants
can help combat "SICK BUILDING SYNDROME". Common indoor plants in your
office or home are not only decorative but NASA scientists found them
to be useful in absorbing potentially harmful gases and cleaning air
inside modern buildings.

Research using biological processes to resolve environmental problems
on Earth and in spatial habitats has been performed for many years by
Dr. Bill Wolverton, formerly a senior research scientist at NASA's
John C. Stennis Space Center, Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Based on
preliminary evaluations, ALCA joined NASA to fund a study using about
a dozen popular varieties of ornamental plants to determine their
effectiveness in removing several key pollutants associated with indoor
air pollution. NASA research on indoor plants found that living plants
are so efficient at absorbing contaminants in the air that some will be
launched into space as part of the biological life support system aboard
future space stations.

Each plant type was placed in sealed Plexiglas chambers in which chemicals
were injected. Philodendron, spider plant and the golden pothos were
labeled the most effective in removing formaldehyde molecules. Flowering
plants such as gerbera daisy and chrysanthemums were rated superior in
removing benzene from the chamber atmosphere. Other good performers are
Dracaena Massangeana, Spathiphyllum, and Golden Pothos. "Plants take
substances out of the air through the tiny openings in their leaves,"
Wolverton said. "But research in our laboratories has determined that
plant leaves, roots and soil bacteria are all important in removing
trace levels of toxic vapors".

Plants in your home or office will improve the quality of the air,
making them more pleasant places to live and work. People will feel
better, perform better, and enjoy life more.

TRICHLOROETHYLENE (TCE) is a commercial product found in many industrial
and home uses. Although over 90 percent of the TCE produced is used
in the metal degreasing and dry cleaning industries, TCE is used in
printing inks, paints, lacquers, varnishes, and adhesives. In 1975 the
National Cancer Institute reported that an unusually high incidence
of hepatocellular carcinomas was observed in mice given TCE by gastric
intubation and now considers this chemical a potent liver carcinogen.

BENZENE is a commonly used solvent and is present in many products
including gasoline, inks, oils, paints, plastics, rubber, detergents,
explosives, pharmaceuticals, and dyes. In tests, benzene irritated skin
and eyes. It proved to cause mutagenic bacterial cells, embryotoxicity
and carcinogenicity. Also, evidence shows that benzene may contribute to
chromosomal aberrations and leukemia in humans. Repeated skin contact with
benzene causes dryness, inflammation, blistering and dermatitis. Acute
inhalation of high levels of benzene causes dizziness, weakness,
euphoria, headache, nausea, blurred vision, respiratory diseases,
tremors, irregular heartbeat, liver and kidney damage, paralysis and
unconsciousness. In animal tests, inhalation of benzene led to cataract
formation and diseases of the blood and lymphatic systems. Chronic
exposure to low levels causes headaches, loss of appetite, drowsiness,
nervousness, psychological disturbances and diseases of the blood system,
including anemia and bone marrow diseases.

FORMALDEHYDE is a ubiquitous chemical found in virtually all indoor
environments. The major sources include urea-formaldehyde foam
insulation (UFFI) and particle board or pressed wood products used in
manufacturing office furniture. Many common household cleaning agents
contain formaldehyde. It is used in consumer paper products treated
with UF resins, including grocery bags, waxed papers, toilet and facial
tissues, paper towels, stiffeners, wrinkle resisters, water repellents,
fire retardants and adhesive binders in floor coverings, carpet backings
and permanent-press clothes. Other sources of formaldehyde include
heating and cooking fuels like natural gas, kerosene, and cigarette
smoke. The most widely reported symptoms of formaldehyde are headaches
and irritation to mucous membranes of eyes, nose and throat. It is highly
reactive and combines with protein, causing allergic contact dermatitis
and asthma. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently conducted
research demonstrating that formaldehyde is suspect in causing a rare
type of throat cancer in long-term occupants of mobile homes.

CARBON MONOXIDE is found in cigarette smoke and is produced by the
incomplete combustion of fuel. Exposure to low levels can cause drowsiness
and headaches.

Of the few plants tested, here are the top 10 plants most effective in
removing formaldehyde, benzene, and carbon monoxide from the air:

|! Plant name            | Scientific name
| Bamboo Palm            | Chamaedorea Seifritzii
| Chinese Evergreen      | Aglaonema Modestum
| English Ivy            | Hedera Helix
| Gerbera Daisy          | Gerbera Jamesonii
| Janet Craig            | Dracaena "Janet Craig"
| Marginata              | Dracaena Marginata
| Mass cane/Corn Plan    | Dracaena Massangeana
| Mother-in-Law's Tongue | Sansevieria Laurentii
| Pot Mum                | Chrysantheium Morifolium
| Peace Lily             | Spathiphyllum "Mauna Loa"
| Warneckii              | Dracaena "Warneckii"

The most effective at removing formaldehyde were philodendron, spider
plant, and golden pothos. Gerbera daisy and chrysanthemum (mum) are common
flowering varieties that were most efficient at removing benzene. Peace
lily and chrysanthemum were most efficient at removing trichoroethylene.

All plants produce oxygen by photosynthesis, increasing oxygen in their
immediate surroundings. All plants utilize carbon while producing new
growth and are effective at removing low levels of carbon monoxide,
cleaning our air, including English ivy, Chinese evergreen, bamboo
palm, snake plant (mother-in-law's tongue), and the Dracaena Marginata,
corn plant, and Janet Craig. Generally, one large plant per 100 square
feet will clean air in an average home or office. More heavily polluted
environments require greater concentrations of plants.