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I'm not a biologist. I have read that low oxygen levels in the home can have a negative effect on health. I am interested in increasing the amount of oxygen in the air in my home.

To open the windows would be the most effective way but the air outside is cold and measurably polluted (PM2.5 usually greater than 30µg/m3) so I would like to find other ways.

I know that plants add oxygen to the air but I have read that an unrealistically large amount of plants would be needed to make a meaningful difference to the oxygen levels.

I am wondering what other methods I can use and also whether what I have written above is correct.

Please forgive me for my ignorance. If this is the wrong place to ask this question then please help me to find the right place. Also sorry for not knowing what tags to use.

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    $\begingroup$ You should not keep so many plants inside a closed room. In addition to the above answers, there is another thing to consider. If you don't open the window there will be no air circulation. In absence of fresh air germs can grow inside the room, which may cause health issues. The indoor air can become more polluted than the out side air. If you really can't open the windows, I would suggest you to install a good quality air purification system, which don’t produce ozone by-product. Even though the air purifier cleans the air, you still need to keep the windows open $\endgroup$ – user383997 May 12 '20 at 10:24
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You should also have in mind that, meanwhile plants produce oxygen through photosynthesis, they also carry out aerobic respiration. In short, this process requires oxygen which is normally not a problem during daytime as photosynthesis covers the oxygen needed. Nonetheless, during nightime, plants remove oxygen from the atmosphere and do not replenish it. This is why nurses normally remove plants from hospital rooms at night. So if you want to put plants in your room, have in mind that is best to take it outside during the night.

Refer to this link for more information: http://www.saps.org.uk/saps-associates/browse-q-and-a/453-do-house-plants-remove-oxygen

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When plants photosynthesize they take carbon dioxide from the air and water from their soil, and using energy from sunlight combine these into sugar. In the process, oxygen gas is released as a waste product

This is pretty much the reverse of what you are doing. You take in oxygen from the air and you use this to break apart fuel, releasing energy and breathing out carbon dioxide and water as waste

Plant [carbon dioxide + water + sunlihgt -> sugar and oxygen]

You [sugar + oxygen -> carbon dioxide + water + energy]

Therefore, to add more oxygen you want a photosynthetic plant. this website lists the best ones for adding oxygen and also for cleaning the air. when plants pull gases out of the air, they filter and kill bacteria and spores out of the air too using their leaves.

https://www.bhg.com.au/best-air-cleaning-plants

You want leafy green, fast growing for the best effect.

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