I don't think its very much probably close to zero but I just wanted to know if they do produce anything at all and how much?

When I am in a plant store I can smell the plants in the air when there are hundreds of them, all different types, when there is a single plant or just a few I don't feel there is any difference to the air quality. I hear a lot of claims people make about Pothos (Devils Ivy) and its amazing air purifying qualities but I don't really think they produce a whole lot. My guess is that they would need to be lots and lots of them to make a difference to the air?

Do they have any impact on the air quality of your home or are they just bold claims?

By day plants release oxygen into the air at night (no light) they yield carbon dioxide. No purifying going on there. Plants often do smell nice, however.

AmberLeaf said:
Do they have any impact on the air quality of your home or are they just bold claims?

I'm going to say 'bold claims,' to be nice.

While there are many reasons to enjoy indoor plants, claiming you'll have cleaner, better, healthier indoor air by growing plants is not scientifically supported, to my knowledge.

So, grow them for all the other good reasons!

When we had wildfires a couple years back, the sky was black and the AQI was over 800. My veg garden died as did a lot of other annuals (the perennials looked bad but survived). My greenhouse is home to several hundred plants. During the worst of the smoke, even with the vents open, the air was wonderful! But, several hundred plants in a limited space. So you can improve the air quality in your house, but you wouldn't have room to walk.

In 1989 NASA conducted a study under controlled laboratory conditions to examine the viability of using common houseplants to cleanse the air inside spacecraft. The results showed that some plants did remove volatile compounds from sealed lab chambers, but overall the plan was deemed impractical. The press of course spread the misinformation that houseplants could purify air in our homes and offices, which was not what the study proved.

And so a myth was born that persists 34 years later. And hey! This was pre-Internet!

Here are a couple of articles about it if you're interested

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wik...

https://apnews.com/article/fac...

Still, the theory is mighty persistent and with a little searching you can find allegedly reputable people and agencies supporting it.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/p...

Also, recently a new strain of Epipremnum aureum was genetically modified to remove more air pollutants. Haven't heard much about that lately, but it was big news for awhile.

https://www.newscientist.com/a...

As far as I tell, at the very least, houseplants can't hurt...🌿

The first Biosphere 2 experiment resulted in falling oxygen levels and the eventual need to inject additional oxygen into the "sealed" system.
This in a 3+ acre structure packed with plants.

But really, its the original study that's worth reading and its hard to come by. What I remember:

The NASA experiment had charcoal filters in the bottoms of the flower pots. That was the real test. The plant roots were proocessing air through a charcoal filter.

The Sansevieria got most of the press because that was the plant most available. Apparently the lab techs were sent to the nearest store and told to buy whatever. The list is what they came back with.

The study has been re-hashed and re-written for over 30 years with no one actually reading or understanding what it was about. I found it several years ago but it wasn't easy. I'll find it and atrach it to this post.

kenisaac said: claiming you'll have cleaner, better, healthier indoor air by growing plants is not scientifically supported

But you will have fungus gnats, guaranteed!

Here's the link - happy reading:
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/cita...

Thanks for posting that, Lucy. It's the one I found, a 30- page PDF with such itty bitty dense type that I gave up trying to read it on my phone so settled for the Wikipedia summary, which isn't very thorough. Recommend reading it on a larger screen.

Love the Sansevieria detail!

kenisaac said: But you will have fungus gnats, guaranteed!

My solution to fungus gnats issues /or at least to keep things under control would be not to over water and make sure the plants are getting enough light. Using the right compost is key, well draining compost and worm castings. There is also Diatomaceous Earth (food grade) can also help along with bottom watering.

Fungus Gnats can be a real pain but I've found that they are only interested in certain plants, mostly plants that have a scent to them. There are many house plants that the gnats aren't really interested in. They are also attracted to plants that are struggling or are stressed. I always had issues with Boston Ferns so I don't keep those anymore. All my other house plants do fine. I still see the odd few fungus gnats.

I think getting an air purifier would be better and a plant steamer although I don't think a bit of steam would benefit the plants much but it would be nice to have, and it might add some plant smell to the air. I love having plants all around my living space. It would be my dream to have a glass roof then I could have even more plants.

My dream is a job where my boss says. Here's the credit card, go buy a bunch of plants

Amber, more glass sounds great but comes with new challenges. We have one row of (crappy, wire reinforced, dirty) skylights at work and it makes a huge difference to the plants I set there, with just a few hours of sun, it's hotter and drier on that shelf.

We run a room humidifier during heating season for our bedroom comfort, but at work the air is very dry and I can't seem any ill effects on common plants- tho I avoid ferns and maranta/calathea types there.

Later I will see what Chat GPT says about plants purifying the air, I saved my login at work.

I imagine there could be down sides to having a glass roof such as moss build up and dirt but even a single roof window that opens inwards for easy cleaning would make a world of difference for a dark space. If I could have my way I'd fit several of them but unfortunately here in London you need planning permission for stuff like that which would never be granted so I have to make do with extra LED lighting solutions. The air is very dry in my place and ventilation isn't that great. I have my windows open most of the time apart from in winter.

Window/skylights in roofs are notorious for leaking, and in many locations would tend to create heat. I'd feel lucky to be without.

Have you ever seen a solar tube? Don't know if they have them in the UK; many companies here. Astonishing how much light they create!

Just picked sites with good pictures. I'm not promoting or recommending these brands.

https://www.skylightsforless.c...

https://www.veluxusa.com/produ...

porkpal said: Window/skylights in roofs are notorious for leaking, and in many locations would tend to create heat. I'd feel lucky to be without.

I would live in a giant green house if I could.

I like the idea of the solar tube.