Natural Air Cleaners 凈化空氣，我最給力

張曉敏

Following is a list of the top formaldehyde1） removers， as well as a few other plants that clean the air and may bring a little sunshine into your room.

下面列出的是清除甲醛最有效的一些植物以及一些其他的植物，它們既能夠清潔空氣，也許還能給你的房間帶來一些歡樂。

Boston Fern 波士頓蕨

Boston ferns remove more formaldehyde than any other plant. They're also highly efficient at removing other indoor air pollutants， such as benzene2） and xylene3） （these are components of gasoline exhaust that can migrate indoors if you have an attached garage）. The downside is that they can be finicky4）. You need to feed5） them weekly in seasons when they're growing， monthly during the winter， and they like to be watered regularly. Depending on the humidity and moisture levels in your home， you may need to water them or mist their leaves daily.

波士頓蕨比其他任何植物都能清除甲醛。它們還能非常有效地清除其他室內空氣污染物，如苯和二甲苯（這兩者都是汽車尾氣的成分，要是你的車庫緊挨著屋子，它們還能跑到室內）。波士頓蕨不好的一點是它們可能不好“伺候”。在其生長季你每周都得給它們澆水施肥，到冬天則需要每月如此。它們還喜歡定期澆水。根據你家的濕度和含水率，你可能需要每天都給它們澆澆水或是給葉子噴噴水。

Palm Trees 棕櫚樹

Palm trees seem particularly good at removing indoor air pollutants， particularly formaldehyde， and they're all relatively easy to care for. The best at formaldehyde removal is the Dwarf date palm， which is closest in appearance to the palm trees that remind you of warmer climates. But you'll also get clean air with a bamboo palm， areca palm， lady palm or parlor palm. Another plus： palms like cooler temperatures， in the 15.6～23.9℃range， so they force you to be energy efficient and lower your thermostat7）.

棕櫚樹似乎特別擅于清除室內空氣污染物，尤其是甲醛，而且它們都相對好打理。這類植物中清除甲醛最有效的要屬矮棗椰，其外形也最像那些會讓我們聯想到溫暖氣候的棕櫚樹。不過，散尾葵、檳榔樹、棕竹或是墨西哥棕櫚也可以為你帶來清新的空氣。另外，棕櫚科植物喜歡15.6～23.9℃這樣涼爽些的溫度，所以它們能促使你節(jié)能，讓你調低恒溫器。

Rubber Plants and Janet Craigs 橡膠類植物和巴西木

Got a dim room that's just screaming out for cleaner air and a little touch of nature？ Try a rubber plant or the Janet Craig. Both will tolerate very little sun （though they may grow a little more slowly） and top the list for formaldehyde removers， which is particularly important in rooms where most furniture is made from particleboard8） held together by formaldehyde-based glues. Janet Craigs will tolerate more abuse and neglect than rubber trees， but rubber trees are a little more aesthetically9） pleasing.

你那昏暗陰沉的房間迫切需要清新的空氣和一點點自然氣息？那不妨試試橡膠類植物或是巴西木吧。這兩種植物不怎么見太陽也可以生長（雖然它們可能會長得更慢一點），在清除甲醛的綠植榜單上也名列前茅——如果房間里的家具大多是用以甲醛為基本成分的膠水黏合而成的木屑板制成的，那這一點就更為重要了。巴西木比橡膠樹更能經得住虐待和忽視，但后者看起來更賞心悅目一點。波士頓蕨比其他任何植物都能清除甲醛。它們還能非常有效地清除其他室內空氣污染物，如苯和二甲苯（這兩者都是汽車尾氣的成分，要是你的車庫緊挨著屋子，它們還能跑到室內）。波士頓蕨不好的一點是它們可能不好“伺候”。在其生長季你每周都得給它們澆水施肥，到冬天則需要每月如此。它們還喜歡定期澆水。根據你家的濕度和含水率，你可能需要每天都給它們澆澆水或是給葉子噴噴水。

English Ivy 常春藤

Grown outdoors， English ivy is an invasive species that can damage your home's exterior and tear off your gutters10）. But bring it inside， and it's an effective formaldehyde remover. Thanks to its ability to climb structures， it's easy to grow as topiary11） and use as a decorative element in your living spaces. English ivy likes part sun and part shade， so it's a good plant to try indoors， and it's not as temperamental as Boston ferns are. Occasional waterings and mistings will keep it healthy.

常春藤若種在戶外，會是極具侵略性的植物，會破壞房屋的外觀，毀掉你家的排水槽；但若移入室內，便會成為清除甲醛的能手。由于其攀爬各種結構的能力，常春藤易于用于園藝種植，也可以很方便地用作居住空間的裝飾元素。常春藤喜歡半是陽光半是陰影的地方，所以是一種很適合在室內嘗試種植的植物。它也不像波士頓蕨那樣不好伺候，偶爾澆澆水或是噴噴水就能讓它長得很好。

Peace Lily 和平蓮

One of few houseplants that will bloom indoors， the peace lily with its seashell-shaped spathes12） really will bring a touch of summer into a dreary winter. One of the best plants for removing formaldehyde， it also removes benzene and certain VOCs that are emitted by harsh cleaning products （making it a good office plant， particularly if your maintenance staff doesn't use green cleaners）. It also prefers low-light conditions and has a high transpiration rate that will humidify your air. Just be aware that the leaves can be poisonous to pets and children， so peace lily may not be a great choice for new parents or pet owners.

作為少數能開花的室內盆栽植物之一，和平蓮貝殼型的佛焰苞無疑可以給沉悶的冬天帶來一絲夏日的氣息。它不僅是清除甲醛最有效的植物之一，還能清除苯以及刺激性清潔用品散發(fā)出的揮發(fā)性有機化合物——這讓它成為一種辦公室優(yōu)選植物，尤其是如果保潔人員不使用環(huán)保清潔劑的話。它還喜歡光線較暗的環(huán)境，蒸騰速率高，可以使空氣濕潤。不過要注意，它的葉子對寵物和兒童來說可能有毒，所以對新晉父母或養(yǎng)寵物的人來說，和平蓮可能不算是一個好的選擇。

Golden Pothos 黃金葛

Though not high on the list of formaldehyde removers， we've included this plant because you can practically hit it with a hammer and not kill it. It tolerates a lot of neglect and is forgiving when over-watered. And it's still relatively effective at removing air pollutants. For those reasons， it's a great "starter houseplant" for people without much indoor-gardening experience. Golden pothos are often mistakenly sold as philodendrons13）， which are related plants that are equally good at removing formaldehyde， and almost as forgiving to newbie14） houseplant tenders.

這種植物雖然在除甲醛的名單上排名不高，但我們還是將它列在了這里，因為你可以用錘子真的敲打它，而它都不會死。它可以忍受長時間的冷落，水澆多了也不會怪你，而且在清除空氣污染物方面仍然相對有效?；谶@些原因，它對沒什么室內園藝經驗的人來說是個很好的“入門級盆栽”。黃金葛常常被當成喜林芋出售，后者也是同一類植物，同樣擅于清除甲醛，即使是室內盆栽的新手也差不多能養(yǎng)好它。