We have seen a tremendous effort toward reducing emissions from vehicle manufacturers, but now the roads we drive on could have a significant recycling effect on the atmospheric pollution. Scientists from the Netherlands first invented photo-luminescent smart-roads to mitigate hazardous road conditions, and now they’ve done it again: this time, they’ve created and tested pavement that can actually cut surrounding air pollutant concentrations nearly in half. Sounds like an idea from a science fiction novel, doesn’t it? Or at least, Popular Mechanics.
Researchers from Eindhoven University of Technology set out to see if the pavement material they created would reduce levels of nitrogen oxides (NOx), a group of highly reactive poisonous gases produced by cars and power plants that create what we know as smog. They tested two blocks of pavement – one control with conventional pavement and one made with titanium dioxide, which is known as a photocatalytic pavement material. This material has the ability to remove pollutants from the air and reduce them into less harmful components. The results were spectacular.
According to Earth 911: After analyzing measurements gathered over the course of a year, the researchers found that the treated street reduced NOx air pollution by 19 percent on average; the figure bumped up to 28 percent during the afternoon and a remarkable 45 percent under ideal weather conditions (high radiation and low relative humidity).
The findings were published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials. Read on for more information about this innovative solution to reducing emissions and creating a healthier environment.
Earthgarage – Greener Car. Fatter Wallet.