The highly anticipated Smog Free Project, supported by the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection, opened in Beijing, China, on 29 September 2016.
The project
The project was created by Dutch artist and innovator Daan Roosegaarde and his team of designers, and seeks to inspire citizens and create a clean, smog free environment for the future.
For the project, Studio Roosegaarde created the world’s largest smog vacuum cleaner. The seven meters high tower uses patented ion technology to produce smog-free air in public spaces.
Bejing is one of the worst cities in the world for polluted air. Only earlier this month, dangerously high levels of air pollution blanketed the Chinese capital for five days. This project seeks to find a solution and allow residents to breathe and experience clean air for free.
The tower cleans 30.000m³ per hour via patented ozone-free ion technology and uses a small amount of green electricity. It captures and collects more than 75% of the PM2.5 and PM10 airborne smog particles and releases clean air around the tower with a 360-degree coverage.
Watch the vacuum in action:
While this project is extremely innovative in its own right, Studio Roosegaarde have gone a step further. They are using the smog and turning it into a limited edition collection of jewellery. At present, the range includes: Smog Free Rings, Smog Free Cubes and Smog Free Cufflinks— all made from compressed smog particles.
Success
On 22 November, China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection reported that air, in the vicinity of the Smog Free Tower, was 55% cleaner. This is a fantastic outcome for Studio Roosegaarde who now plan to tour China to bring their innovation to other cities.
During the period of 41 days, the tower cleaned 30 million m³ of Beijing’s air. This is equivalent to the volume of 10 Beijing National Stadiums. The tower has also captured billions of harmful PM2.5 airborne particles during its exhibition time.
This invention is just one example of how human engineering can help solve some of the world’s worst problems. With more countries waking up to the need for renewable energy sources, and projects like these raising awareness, air pollution could be a thing of the past. We’ve got a long way to go, but it’s a great start.
Featured image: Smog Free Jewellery. Photo: Studio Roosegaarde
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