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the claim

Common houseplants remove enough indoor air pollutants to improve human health.

the verdict
REFUTED
the evidence says no
Recorded sources
3 sources for · 2 against

Counts group repeated records of the same source within each side. They do not measure evidence strength or source independence.

Is it true that common houseplants remove enough indoor air pollutants to improve human health?

No. The U.S. EPA states there is no evidence that a reasonable number of houseplants remove significant quantities of pollutants in homes and offices, and a cited real-building study found no benefit from plants. Other items show only that plants can take up some chemicals in laboratory or fumigation settings, not that houseplants improve human health.

Verdict: REFUTED · 3 sources for, 2 against · Last checked

The private library was unavailable for some searches in this check. Missing library results are not evidence against the claim.

Evidence for · 3
Planting Healthier Indoor Air
2011
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Claudio, L. (2011). Planting Healthier Indoor Air. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.119-a426

Evidence against · 2
Improving Indoor Air Quality | US EPALockPrimary navigationOpen Sidenav MenuClose Sidenav Menuexpand or collapse the child menu
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Improving Indoor Air Quality | US EPALockPrimary navigationOpen Sidenav MenuClose Sidenav Menuexpand or collapse the child menu. (n.d.). epa.gov. https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/improving-indoor-air-quality

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More for · 2
The Role of Indoor Plants in air Purification and Human Health in the Context of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Proposal for a Novel Line of Inquiry.
2021
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R, E., Z, H., & S, E. (2021). The Role of Indoor Plants in air Purification and Human Health in the Context of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Proposal for a Novel Line of Inquiry.. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmolb.2021.709395

Screening Houseplants to Remove Ammonia from Indoor Air through Fumigation
2011
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Yang, H., Liu, Y. J., & Shao, W. (2011). Screening Houseplants to Remove Ammonia from Indoor Air through Fumigation. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.378-379.397

More against · 1
Can indoor plants recycle the air we breathe?
2011
Get citation
Can indoor plants recycle the air we breathe?. (2011). skeptics.stackexchange.com. https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/5584/can-indoor-plants-recycle-the-air-we-breathe

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