Hi joelpat:
You are certainly right that there seems to be a lot of references to
that particular NASA study!
I was able to find the follolwing sites that confirm/elaborate on your
supposition that the NASA claims are "overblown". I stuck with
academic (.edu) and government (.gov) sites in order to get the most
authoritative information.
Both sites listed below have much valuable information on alternate
strategies (not just the little quotes I've extracted).
The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality
From: Environmental Protection Agency
URL:
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/insidest.html
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/insidest.html#Improve5
Quote: "Over the past few years, there has been some publicity
suggesting that houseplants have been shown to reduce levels of some
chemicals in laboratory experiments. There is currently no evidence,
however, that a reasonable number of houseplants remove significant
quantities of pollutants in homes and offices. Indoor houseplants
should not be over-watered because overly damp soil may promote the
growth of microorganisms which can affect allergic individuals."
Indoor Air Quality
From: Cornell University
URL: http://instruct1.cit.cornell.edu/courses/pam383-fall97/indooraq.htm
Quote: "Indoor Flora- While some studies have indicated that indoor
plants can reduce the amount of toxic substances in indoor pollution,
it is more likely that the indoor plants will act as an allergenic
more often."
And just to be fair...the following study shows that indoor plants do
help remove particulate dust from the atmosphere.
Impact of interior plants on relative humidity and dust
From: Washington State University
URL: http://www.wsu.edu/~lohr/hih/air/
Quote: "Particulate matter was measured around the rooms on various
surfaces away from the plants. Dust was significantly lower
throughout both rooms when plants were present than when they were
absent. Dust was reduced by as much as 20% with plants. This study
confirmed that the use of plants to remove particulate matter, which
has often been used outdoors to control deposition, also is effective
on the scale present in interiors."
I hope this information is of help to you.
If you need any clarification of the information I have provided,
please ask using the Clarification feature and provide me with
additional details as to what you are looking for. As well, please
allow me to provide you with clarification(s) *before* you rate this
answer.
Thank you.
websearcher-ga
Search Strategy (on Google):
"indoor plants" "air quality"
"indoor plants" "air quality" -nasa site:.edu
"indoor plants" "air quality" site:.gov |
