Cat's eye filters to clean roadside air

A filter system resembling cat’s eyes has been invented that can clean up roadside air at busy intersections.

The partially submerged pods are capable of extracting particulate matter and other harmful pollutants, such as nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and ozone, from the roadside and filtering air back out 99 per cent clean.

For the pods to be installed, a small channel needs to be cut into the middle of the road into which air ducts are laid and connected to pod heads. They then sit partially submerged in the road surface and look similar to cat’s eyes.

The system, pictured below, is then connected to an air station about the same size as a phone box at the side of the road. The installation process at one intersection can be completed in less than 24 hours.

Thomas Delgado, pictured, is the chief executive officer of UK-based Pollution Solution and he invented the technology. “It’s time for government and local authorities to take real action,” he says.

“There are about 40,000 new cases of people around the UK suffering from serious pollution-related illnesses – such as coronary heart disease, lung cancer and asthma – every year due to road-based pollution. At least 9,000 people die prematurely as a result every year. The consequences of poor air quality are tragic, but we can change this quickly.”

Air pollution now costs the NHS in the UK more than £20 billion – or about NZ$39.5b – annually. Delgado believes clean-air zones, such as London’s ultra-low emissions zone, simply moves the problem from one area to another.

“Electric cars are great, but as it stands they aren’t feasible for most consumers or companies – air quality needs to improve now. There are talks of banning the sale of fossil-fuelled vehicles by the year 2040, but if we don’t take steps in the interim it’s inevitable at least 200,000 in the UK people will die unnecessarily.”

To learn more about Pollution Solution, click here.