Collecting smog
Tokyo, like all other major cities has heavy vehicular traffic, and a lot of smog as a result. KojiTakeuchi, a chemical engineer at the National Institute for Resources and Environment in Tsukuba, Japan, has designed a solar-powered smog col1ecting panel. The panels are made of teflon fibres mixed with carbon powder and titanium dioxide, Sunlight activates the titanium dioxide molecules that capture oxygen and watervapour.These then deactivate nitrous and sulphurous oxides -harmful smog components released in car exhaust. The carbon, Takeuchi claims, also attracts other dust-Jike pollutants and holds on to them temporarily until they are dissolved by the watervapour and washed away (Discover, April 1996).