Why You Can Trust CNET This Bioengineered Plant System Uses Microbiomes to Clean Air 30 Times Faster
The Queen Marble Pothos is known to purify air better than other houseplants, but this supercharged version removes benzene, xylene and other harmful toxins at an even higher clip.
The Neo Px system boosts a common normal Marble Queen Pothos plant to clean air 30 times the normal rate.
Houseplants naturally cleanse the air in our homes and no common houseplant is better equipped to do so than a Marble Queen or Golden Pothos. But even so, you'll likely need dozens of plants to make even the smallest dent in poor air quality.
A new plant-powered air purification system launched this week by biotech startup Neoplants uses microbiome science to supercharge the Queen Marble Pothos, accelerating the plant's ability to clean air by up to 30 times the normal rate. The Neo Px leans on bioengineering and a proprietary microbiome solution that is added to the plant's soil. This modification helps the Pothos remove cancer-causing volatile organic compounds far 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 implemented in an at-home system 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 technology builds on a major breakthrough made by researchers at the University of Washinton in 2018.
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.