Dutch Town Paving Street With Air-Purifying Concrete
Now here’s an innovation that might make me consider moving back to New York City: air-purifying concrete. The small Dutch town of Hengelo is testing out the concrete paving stones, which contain a titanium-dioxide based additive that binds to nitrogen particles emitted by car exhaust and turns them into harmless nitrates.
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If the bricks work, pollutants such as acid rain and smog will be reduced.
The town is determining the effectiveness of the new concrete by paving one half of a road under construction with the “green” bricks, and one half with regular bricks. Air quality measurements will be taken early next year, and results should be available next summer.
While I look forward to successful results with the new technology, I sincerely hope that the green bricks won’t be used as an excuse to lower emissions standards. Air-purifying concrete should be looked at as a way to make air even cleaner than it already is, not as an excuse to let vehicles release more nitrogen oxides.
Photo Credit: PhysOrg
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