For several years, research suggested that houseplants might cleanse the air of certain pollutants. But now most scientists say that’s not right, according to a report in The Atlantic.
“It’s such an alluring and enticing idea,” Elliott Gall, a Portland State University professor, said. “But the scientific literature shows that indoor houseplants—as would be typically implemented in a person’s home—do very little to clean the air.”
“My view is even harsher than that,” Michael Waring, an engineering professor at Drexel University, added. “I do not think that houseplants clean the air.”
“A resounding ‘no,’” agreed Richard Corsi, a longtime air-pollution researcher, in an email. Houseplants do not clean the air “any more than an old pair of socks or baseball cap that I would hang on the wall.”