Abstract

Many hours of our days are spent at home or in the office. The indoor environment can present conditions that are not favorable to health, with the accumulation of pollutants and allergens, both produced inside and coming from outside. It is commonly believed that houseplants can play an effective role in removing these pollutants. Different species are taken into consideration in relation to the adsorption capacity, the amount and type of pollutants removed. Plants can remove small amounts of pollutants per hour and per unit of surface area, but when compared to the volume of a room, the result is not very significant. In reality, it seems that the best solution lies in the use of tools aimed at air purification and that plants have a greater importance in creating a pleasant environment and can have positive effects especially from a psychological point of view

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Authors

Alessandro Travaglini - Department of Biology, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4373-0105

Auro Della Giustina - Private Practice, Parma, Italy

Alessandro Di Menno di Bucchianico - Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Rome, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9139-935X

Denise De Franco - Department of Biology, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy https://orcid.org/0009-0001-0966-6904

Maria Antonia Brighetti - Department of Biology, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4556-6468

Alessandra Gori - Department of Mother-Child, Urological Science, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy https://orcid.org/0009-0006-9211-6829

Mario Barreto - NES-MOS Department, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Pediatric Unit Sant’Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1607-8107

Ifigenia Sfika - Private Practice, Rome, Italy

Stefano Pattini - Pediatric Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences of the Mother, Children and Adults, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy

Salvatore Tripodi - Allergology Service, Policlinico Casilino, Rome, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2517-3285

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Copyright (c) 2025 Italian Journal of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology

How to Cite
Travaglini, A., Della Giustina, A., Di Menno di Bucchianico, A. ., De Franco, D., Brighetti, M. A., Gori, A., Barreto, M., Sfika, I. ., Pattini, S., & Tripodi, S. (2025). The The role of plants in improving indoor air quality. Italian Journal of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, 39(2). https://doi.org/10.53151/2531-3916/2025-1364
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