We may have to wait years for polluting vehicles to be scrapped, so tech that helps clean the air, especially in our cities, is a good investment. Here are six innovative ideas to help us breathe better.
A little-known UK-based company, Vivex Engineering, has developed a Modular City Air Cleaner (MCAC) inspired by the atmosphere purifying effects of rain and thunderstorms.
The firm, which makes cold plasma air purification systems for factories, designed a solution that sucks air through a high-voltage high-frequency electric field. The electric field produces lightning-like electrical discharges, ionizing the air inside the module. The lightning changes the chemical composition of pollutants present in the air and aggregates small particles into larger clusters. A stream of water subsequently washes away pollutants, just like in a summer rainstorm. The technology also kills bacteria and viruses present in the air.
Vivex Engineering says one standard MCAC unit clears the air within a 25m-high column with an 80-metre radius. Purifying one cubic metre of air requires approximately a tenth of a watt of electrical power.
The environmentally friendly technology could be enhanced by integrating a solar panel into units exposed to direct sunlight. In tests, the technology removed 50 per cent of dust particles on average and 55 per cent of nitrogen oxides in just one step.
About the author:
Tereza Pultarova is a science journalist and health freak on a journey to better health, immortality and better youth using holistic approaches to a lifestyle based on some cutting-edge science that is unfortunately still on the fridges. We do have more power over our health and well-being than we think and I am on a mission to spread the message. And along the way, we shall also make sustainable choices to keep our planet healthy as well.
