Re: Plants cause oxygen deprivation at night???????

**S* M* <samarak@gizmoworks.com>**

I assume that claim is based on the idea that while plants' metabolisms 
produce a net surplus of oxygen, they do also use some oxygen, and that 
therefore at night (when not photosynthesizing) they are technically 
decreasing rather than increasing the oxygen in the room?

I have no actual measurements, but my immediate conclusion would be that 
this is absurd from a purely logical standpoint, because anyone who sleeps 
in a room with another person (or pets, for that matter) at night has 
something with a much higher metabolism than plants using up their oxygen, 
and no one has any concern about oxygen deprivation in that situation. 

(For that matter, if it were true, even people with no plants in their 
bedroom would be suffocated each night by all the evil grass, trees, and 
shrubs outside ... where do they think the air in their homes comes from?)

Steve

On Sat, 13 Feb 2010, ExoticRainforest wrote:

> I've been asked twice recently if plants can cause oxygen deprivation at
> night if kept in a bed room.  I've never heard of such a tale but found a
> bunch of posts on garden websites today that make that claim.  Can anyone
> with a scientific background elaborate on this one??

-- Steve Marak
-- samarak@gizmoworks.com