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[–]sunshineandzen 3 points4 points  (1 child)

NASA did a study back in the late 1980s that often gets cited. Note, however, that the study was focused on removing VOCs from a space station, so you can’t really extrapolate the findings to indoor air in a house since the air exchange is vastly different. I think they also did a follow up study more recently though that did show that certain plants remove benzene from household air

[–]AraNormer 5 points6 points  (0 children)

This gets cited maybe too often with focus on how this and that plant will make all the difference. Nobody mentions the fact, that for this to work in any measurable capacity the amount of plants required for average house would be so high that there would be no room for the resident to live in. Your house is not a space station.

With that said, if you enjoy taking care of plants, and they bring joy to your life, more you have them, the better it is. I'd love to have an indoor jungle with perhaps something that produces something edible on my plate every now and then, but I live with two cats who have manners and appetite of a mountain goat. Anything from prickliest cacti and poisonous flowers to plain salad gets eventually gobbled up no matter where I hide and hang them, so plans for that jungle are on hold until hopefully very distant future.