Indoor plants could improve air quality and cooling

Indoor plants could improve air quality and cooling Swati Mestri Scientific Editor Andrew Zinin Chief Editor In a study published in Eco-Environment and Health, a team of 35 international experts led by Surrey's Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE) reviewed several studies from across the world on the performance of indoor greenery. They found that passive greening, such as potted plants and living walls, can help remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs)—gases released by everyday products including paints, furniture and cleaning products. However, systems that actively draw air through plants and their growing materials were often more effective overall at removing these pollutants under controlled conditions. Indoor greening was also associated with temperature reductions of around 0.5–4.5 degrees Celsius near the plants, showing its potential to improve indoor comfort and reduce reliance on air conditioning. While the evidence points to the many benefits of indoor greening, its effectiveness varies depending on factors like ventilation, lighting, plant species and the type of system used, making it important to understand which approaches work best in different environments. The review identified opportunities to strengthen the evidence behind indoor greening, as a large number of the studies were conducted in laboratories rather than realistic conditions. Many involved small test chambers and short monitoring periods, which may not capture how plants perform inside real-world environments and over time. "There is growing evidence that indoor greening can improve the spaces where we live and work, but much of the research has looked at individual benefits in isolation. "What we've done is bring that evidence together and look at how we can better measure and predict these effects, including how they might change under different environmental conditions. While substantial research gaps remain, this provides a preliminary benchmark for making informed decisions about where and how indoor plants can be most effective," said professor Prashant Kumar, co-director of the Institute for Sustainability, professor and chair in air quality and health, and founding director of the Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE). The team also highlighted the need to better understand how outdoor conditions and climate change could affect indoor greening, particularly during periods of extreme heat and humidity, when poorly managed moisture levels could increase the risk of condensation or mold. To help address these gaps, researchers proposed a conceptual framework combining monitoring and numerical modeling to assess how indoor greenery performs under different environmental conditions, with the aim of informing future building design, management and policy decisions. "The review highlights a substantial gap in the monitoring and modeling of indoor greening impacts, and further research is needed to address this," said Dr. Elisa Valentim Goulart and Dr. Hao Sun, both researchers at GCARE. More information Prashant Kumar et al., Monitoring and modelling of indoor environmental quality to guide indoor greening applications, Eco-Environment & Health (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.eehl.2026.100289 Provided by University of Surrey