Plants as purifiers and enhancers of indoor air quality are just a myth that has existed for the past several decades. After the study reported by NASA conducted in a small tight chamber, retailers and health-related posts promising plants that absorb toxic chemicals led people to believe that plants purify indoor air. Even though plants remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in a small quantity, it would require about 9-10 plants per square foot to impact air quality on a scale that could be beneficial, equivalent to planting almost 5,000 plants in a small apartment of the size 500-square foot. Therefore, plants technically do not purify the indoor air but remove a minute amount of airborne toxins, which is almost negligible to benefit users.
Although plants do not purify indoor air, few studies reported improving cognitive performance and help concentrate better. The myth about plants purifying indoor air came into existence after a NASA 1989 study that demonstrated plants could reduce VOCs in small airtight containers, leading to the hype and consumer expectation of replacing air purifiers with indoor plants. Based on the study reported three decades back, almost all the wellness blogs and internet articles started posting plants as a magic bullet for indoor air quality. Despite all the myths and misleading posts, here we write about the three plants reported to improve concentration at work and cognitive performance.
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References:
Parseh et al., Phytoremediation of benzene vapors from indoor air by Schefflera arboricola and Spathiphyllum wallisii plants, Atmospheric Pollution Research, 2018.
Raanaas et al., Benefits of indoor plants on attention capacity in an office setting, Journal of Environmental Psychology, 2011.
Fitch, The Best orchids for indoors, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 2004.
Torpy et al., Profiling indoor plants for the amelioration of high CO2 concentrations, Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 2014.
Cummings et al., Potted plants do not improve indoor air quality: a review and analysis of reported VOC removal efficiencies, Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, 2020.