Indoor Plants that Clean the Air and Remove Toxins

[Bon]

http://www.healthextremist.com/indoor-plants-that-clean-the-air-and-remove-toxins/

[lavender]

I did some reading on this awhile back. It is interesting but I'm not sure how really effective it is. Doesn't hurt but isn't going to clean up really bad pollution.  Here is what I learned:

 

http://downtoearthgardenclub.org/2010/09/houseplants-for-pure-air/

[Petee]

Check out Penn State Research by going to http://extension.psu.edu/clarion/programs/master-gardener/news/2011/indoor-plants-for-clean-air

 

 

[Guest heloise]

I have 9 houseplants, 2 of which are quite large.

It's hard to say if there are any differences and most likely the differences are long term and undetectable to the human eye but logic seems to show benefits as part of the carbon cycle, plants, algae, and cyanobacteria use light energy to photosynthesize carbohydrate from carbon dioxide and water, with oxygen produced as a waste product.  Essentially taking the bad and turning it into clean oxygen while looking pretty.

[Petee]

The main reason our planet is habitable is the plants clean the air and produce oxygen in turn.  So, having plants in your house makes the same sense.

[Guest heloise]

The main reason our planet is habitable is the plants clean the air and produce oxygen in turn.  So, having plants in your house makes the same sense.

That's basically what I think. I'm not going to have my air quality studied to find out, it's a relatively small price to pay for a potentially big reward.

[lavender]

I have 9 houseplants, 2 of which are quite large.

It's hard to say if there are any differences and most likely the differences are long term and undetectable to the human eye but logic seems to show benefits as part of the carbon cycle, plants, algae, and cyanobacteria use light energy to photosynthesize carbohydrate from carbon dioxide and water, with oxygen produced as a waste product.  Essentially taking the bad and turning it into clean oxygen while looking pretty.

You are quite right it a very complex subject as the NASA study proved. They found that the bacteria in the soil of the plants was also contributing to removing pollutants from the air. So there are many components involved. The Penn State study that I cited, I don't believe I found in its entirety on-line, but it dealt with ozone and found that house plants did remove ozone from the air indoors.

Plants of course produce oxygen so life could not exist on Earth without them but this goes above and beyond that issue. What the studies are dealing with is what other indoor pollutants, such as formaldehyde and benzene, that house plants can remove from the air.