Kompetiblog 2012 : Stone Air Purifier

Stone Air Purifier

Netherland is creative country which is never stopping attempt to discover and unveil the curtain of mystery of science and technology. Dutch people enjoy innovating and constantly ask themselves and others questions to come up with new ideas. They accelerated to make better life especially for their nations and even people in the world. It is seen by their current discovery to overcome the daily problem especially in the big cities that is the air pollution from the dangerous gases which emitted from the motor vehicle.

The idea comes from Götz Hüsken who has been working as senior researcher in the Eindhoven Engineering College. He started the research with the stone road, asphalt or beton which can clean the air. It is sounds impossible, but real. Waste of gas nitrogen oxide (NOx) which can dangerous the health emitted from motor vehicle fumes, especially on the road in the big cities could be reduced from the discovery about the stone. He said the top layer of stone pavement is made from titanium dioxide (TiO₂) which can use as photo catalyst from the sun to breakdown NOx in the air. People were very doubtful about their experiment, but finally they can proof it, the stone can work properly as air purifier. This road covered material can breakdown the waste of gas NOx not to be dangerous nitrate for more than the half portion. NOx is the gas which can caused acid rain, fog and respiratory disease. This experiment was supported by European United which gives the strict regulation for the institutions or private to overcome the hazard NOx in the cities. Sunshine breakdown NOx accelerated by titanium dioxide layer of stone as photo catalyst. The contact is occur naturally when the wind and air turbulence from the traffic can caused air pollutant, they flow into the stone and finally can clean the air. According to the Professor Jos Brouwers the leader asphalt air purifier project, told proudly about the result of air quality test: “by installing the stone, we had counted the air quality for three times. The result is gas NOx was reduced 25 to 45%”.  Hüsken also explained how the dangerous compound NOx gone. “NOx had changed into nitrate and it soluble in rain on the street”. The technology is environmentally friendly, it seen that NOx in the air is more dangerous than nitrate. Then, the amount of nitrate which produced from the decomposition is very little. Furthermore, nitrate will be reacted with rain to the sewer and collected in water cycle to outline the nitrat.

In the summary, it is almost no negative effect from the research. The stone road is also can muffle the sound pollutant and slipperiness rate. Titanium dioxide layer is also can use on the concrete or asphalt. The material is one-half times more expensive than the usual. However, for the Holland government the fund is not a prime problem provide that the research is more gives the advantages for the life.