One study from researchers at Beijing Forestry University in 2017 found 'foliage acts as a bio-filter of air pollution and improves air quality due to the leaves’ rough texture and large contact area'.īut the issue with relying on regular trees and plants to filter the air and remove carbon dioxide and pollutants is that they themselves are highly dependent on the environment. Particulates are found in higher concentrations in urban areas, particularly along main roads. These particulates are dangerous because they can get deep into your lungs, or even pass into your bloodstream. Studies have found that the worst offending air pollution for human health is PM2.5 or airborne fine particulate matter. Plants also help soak up air pollutants directly. Similar structures have previously been employed in other cities - including Berlin and Hong Kong - along with temporary trials across London. The technology is powered by a combination of on-board solar panels and internal batteries.Įach CityTree which has the pollution-reduction benefits of 275 normal trees. They can also harbour friendly bacteria which further helps trap pollutants.īy keeping mosses in a container, such as those built by CityTrees, the conditions can be carefully controlled to ensure the plant is always thriving and therefore performing at optimum air filtration.Įach self-sustaining CityTree contains a water tank, irrigation systems and sensors to monitor plant growth and ensure they are healthy. This allows them to soak up carbon dioxide - a greenhouse gas - from the atmosphere and produce oxygen. Mosses, despite being a more primitive lifeform than most trees and flowers, conduct photosynthesis.
In 2019, researchers from Reisner's group developed a solar reactor based on an 'artificial leaf' design, which also uses sunlight, carbon dioxide and water to produce a fuel, known as syngas.īy keeping mosses in a container, such as those built by CityTrees, the conditions can be carefully controlled to ensure the plant is always thriving and therefore performing at optimum air filtrationĬityTrees - also known as artificial trees - use living plants and different types of mosses to capture toxins and remove pollutants from the surrounding environment to produce clean air. 'We want to get to the point where we can cleanly produce a liquid fuel that can also be easily stored and transported,' Professor Reisner added. Senior author, Professor Erwin Reisner, said storage of gaseous fuels and the separation of by-products can be a complicated process.
'It's been difficult to achieve artificial photosynthesis with a high degree of selectivity, so that you're converting as much of the sunlight as possible into the fuel you want, rather than be left with a lot of waste,' said first author Dr Qian Wang. However, it is challenging to produce these clean fuels without unwanted by-products that are costly and complicated to remove.
Harvesting solar energy to convert carbon dioxide into fuel is a promising way to reduce carbon emissions and transition away from fossil fuels, experts claim. A new device is able to take in sunlight, carbon dioxide and water to create a new carbon-neutral fuel without any outside source of electricity, its developers claim
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