Houseplants naturally cleanse the air in our homes, but a single plant, or even a handful, can only do so much. A new plant-powered air purification system launched this week by biotech startup Neoplants looks to accelerate the common houseplant’s ability to remove toxins from the air by up to 30 times the normal rate.
The Neo Px relies on bioengineering and a microbiome solution — the same ones our guts use — to capture and remove harmful volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, faster than a typical plant and supercharge it to better filter air.
Power drops are mixed in a provided beaker using water and a proprietary powder, then added to soil to supercharge a common household plant.
I got a chance to meet with Neoplant’s French cofounders, Lionel Mora and Patrick Torbey, about the Neo Px and the broader goals of their biotech project. Torbey, who holds a doctorate in genomic engineering, explained that this is the first time this particular scientific process has been used to boost phytoremediation, the process by which plants clean air and combat household air pollutants. Neoplant’s claims are backed by this peer-reviewed study (PDF) conducted alongside IMT, a French university.
The self-watering planter needs to be filled only every two or three weeks.
The Neo Px doesn’t remove the same particles as a HEPA air purifier, so it’s not a one-to-one replacement for those machines, Mora, the company’s CEO, explained. Instead, the plant-powered system is made up of a minimalist self-watering planter and proprietary power drop solution — a powder mixed with water — which, when added to soil, increases the natural capture and removal of VOCs such as benzene, toluene and xylene.
A 2022 study showed that natural gas stoves leak harmful amounts of benzene, even when not in use.
That trio of harmful chemicals, often referred to as “BTX” for short, are emitted from common household items, including furniture, nail polish, paint, plastic packaging and household cleaners.
If benzene sounds familiar, that’s because two recent studies showed natural gas stoves leak harmful amounts of benzene when not in use and that the chemical may be responsible for causing childhood asthma and other health complications. When the Neo Px microbiome captures benzene, it breaks it down into carbon sources like amino acids and sugars which are then used to feed the plant itself.
The Neo Px may not be as proficient at removing solid particles including smoke and dust from the air such as electronic air purifiers, but unlike those models, the Neo Px system requires no electricity, makes no noise and is always “on.”
The new plant-powered Neo Px is not meant to be one-to-one replacement for air purifiers.
The plant used in the startup’s first Neo Px air purification system is a Marble Queen Pothos, but Torbey told me they are working on a genetically modified plant for the next iteration that could have the potential to clean air at an even higher clip.
While Mora and Torbey would not comment on specifics, they hinted that this technology could be used on a wider scale to help combat wider atmospheric pollution and some of the most acute human health issues related to and stemming from climate change and global warming.
The Neo Px microbiome purification system is available now on Neoplant’s website. It costs $119 and includes six months of power drops. To function at full strength, the soil requires refill drops to be added every three months. Refill drops cost $39, or $13 per month.
