"Right now, we're looking at a major deficit suggesting that this person sealed in a room (would be) in trouble," Bernacchi said. He calculated that our bodies consume approximately 50,000 oxygen molecules in each breathing cycle, while the snake plant in the aforementioned conditions would only emit approximately 1,600 oxygen molecules. He said that even if a snake plant produced as much oxygen as a corn plant, which has an extremely high photosynthesis rate, and had one square meter of leaf tissue, which would be impossibly huge, the oxygen it produced wouldn't even come close to the oxygen required to keep a human alive. "This would be a remarkable level of photosynthesis, and would exceed, by orders of magnitude, theoretical limits on photosynthesis and violate several physical laws, including thermodynamics," Bernacchi said in an email. Some researchers, such as a team at Drexel University, have questioned the study's findings, saying natural ventilation can purify air much more effectively than indoor houseplants.Ĭarl Bernacchi, an adjunct professor of plant biology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, told USA TODAY the Facebook post's claim is "patently false." O'Shea said the study's findings have often been misinterpreted or misapplied since its publication.įact check: NASA says Earth is a globe, uses 'flat and non-rotating' model in equations The study didn't mention oxygen production or how humans might survive in an oxygen-deprived environment. It also suggested that "activated carbon filters containing fans" should be "considered an integral part of any plan using houseplants for solving indoor air pollution problems."
The study found snake plants, commonly called "mother-in-law's tongue," removed some of the trichloroethylene, benzene and formaldehyde in the sealed chambers over the course of a 24-hour period. The research was focused on sealed areas with limited airflow, not typical residential or commercial spaces." "The report featured findings about how effectively a dozen common houseplants removed a variety of household toxins, such as formaldehyde, from the air in sealed chambers. Louis, Mississippi published a study titled ' Interior Landscape Plants for Indoor Air Pollution Abatement,'" O'Shea said in an email. "In 1989, a small team at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Bay St. Post misrepresents NASA studyĬlaire O'Shea, a spokesperson for NASA, told USA TODAY the agency's study didn't draw the conclusions described in the post. It would be physically impossible for snake plants to produce enough oxygen to keep humans alive in such conditions, according to experts. The NASA study referenced in the post didn't examine the oxygen production of snake plants, but rather the air-purifying capabilities of several houseplants, including the snake plant. Similar versions of the claim have been shared on Instagram.įollow us on Facebook! Like our page to get updates throughout the day on our latest debunks Our rating: False The post garnered more than 200 shares in five days. "NASA recommends 15 to 18 medium-to-large size plants for a 1,800 square-foot home for optimum air quality." "According to NASA's Clean Air Study, the Snake Plant is so effective in producing oxygen that if you were locked in a sealed room with no airflow – yikes! – you would be able to survive with just 6-8 plants in it," reads the article, which was published by the Canadian gardening company Shelmerdine.
Problem Solved, USA TODAY The claim: NASA study found six to eight snake plants can provide enough oxygen for humans to survive in a sealed roomĪ May 22 Facebook video features a screenshot of an article about snake plants.
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