MYTHCONCEPTIONS

Mat Coward

280: HEALTHY HOUSEPLANTS The myth Living plants in your rooms cleanse the indoor air of pollutants. The “truth” Well, yes, they do remove some pollutants from the air – but for that to happen at a level which would make any difference to humans you are going to need, according to the latest research, about 10 plants per square foot. (And presumably that means mature plants, not seedlings). There isn’t going to be room left for a telly or a bed, let alone the kids. Ordinary “air exchange mechanisms” – for instance, opening a window – are vastly more effective. The reason so many websites (and, indeed, houseplant merchants) insist otherwise seems to be an experiment carried out in 1989 by NASA, in which plants in small, sealed chambers had…

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Fortean Times (Digital) - 1 Issue, 445

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