Largest air purifier also turns pollution into jewellery

A designer created the largest air purifier in history, which could be used to clear the air in some of the most polluted cities around the world. A trial is set to start in Beijing, China this September. In addition to removing pollutants from the air that could otherwise find their way into human lungs and blood, the city air purifier also turns smog into jewellery. Dutch 36-year-old entrepreneur Daan Roosegaarde first thought of this solution when visiting the Chinese capital two years ago, CNN Money reports. The smog made it impossible for him to admire the city from his hotel room on the thirty-second floor of a building.

Consequently, he designed the Smog Free Tower, a seven-metre high tower that uses just 1,400 watts of electricity per hour — as much as a tea kettle — to clear some 30,000 cubic metres of air. The tower uses ion technology to capture small pollution particles including PM2.5 and PM10, and to release clean air. The surrounding area is 75 per cent cleaner after the Smog Free Tower processes the air. “Basically, it’s like when you have a plastic balloon, and you polish it with your hand, it becomes static, electrically charged, and it attracts your hair,” the artist says.

The smog is compressed into diamond-like jewellery, which is a byproduct of the process. Compressed smog particles are sealed in a resin cube after being put under pressure for 30 minutes, and the resulting objects can be used in jewelry such as rings and cufflinks, which are already being sold.

The air purifier project has already been tested in Rotterdam, Holland, and should reach more cities around the world if the upcoming Beijing trial run is successful.