Dutch town looks to cut pollution with air-purifying concrete

The Dutch town of Hengelo looks to be taking a rather unique approach to cleaning the air, with it now testing out a new type of "air-purifying concrete" developed by the University of Twente that promises to soak up the nitrogen oxide particles emitted by car exhausts. That's done with the aid of a titanium dioxide-based additive which, with the help of some sunlight, binds with the nitrogen oxide particles and turns them into harmless nitrates, which can apparently just wash away with the next rain shower. The town isn't fully sold on the idea just yet, however, with it only paving half of a road now under construction with the so-called "green bricks" (pictured above), while the other half is getting paved with plain old concrete. They'll then take some air measurements from each section early next year and decide whether to continue paving the town green or not.

[Via Physorg]

[EricR @ Aug 6th 2008 5:42PM]

I bet the life-expectancy of the purifying element isn't that long.

[EricR @ Aug 6th 2008 5:43PM]

I don't mean that this isn't a good idea because it is. I am just skeptical about how well/long it will purify.

[BigD145 @ Aug 6th 2008 5:48PM]

Now we'll see yet another $50 disposable filter on store shelves.

[Rik @ Aug 7th 2008 9:52AM]

Actually it's fine, no problem. The TiO2 acts as a catalyst, it is not consumed (and actually also not that expensive).

In Rome they built a church which got a TiO2 holding walls... though that is not in concrete but a special white cement.

(I do happen to have followed a course on sustainable building by the professor who is heading this research, he's a nice guy.)

[who? @ Aug 6th 2008 5:42PM]

Wow. Now THAT I have to see. Anyone except me think China needs to install these for the Olympics?

[Cal @ Aug 6th 2008 9:47PM]

too late now...

[Harkonian @ Aug 7th 2008 2:07PM]

Sure, why not? This idea much better than, you know, actually doing something about about the vehicles causing the pollution.

[Samboini @ Aug 6th 2008 5:47PM]

If this works, excellent!

[Lowest Ranked - I Wonder How Long I Can Make My Name Since Its National Experimental Name Day. Wow, That Was Long! @ Aug 6th 2008 5:49PM]

In Soviet Russia, air purifies concrete!

[reuvypoo @ Aug 6th 2008 6:00PM]

HeeHeeHaHaHoHo. Dat man make funneh yoke.

[404 @ Aug 6th 2008 5:52PM]

"...turns them into harmless nitrates, which can apparently just wash away with the next rain shower"

High-nitrate levels + drinking water = Blue Baby Syndrome.

Hope they don't lay this stuff down near drinking water sources without seriously upping their water purification plants.

I'm blue da ba dee da...!

[kjb434 @ Aug 6th 2008 6:09PM]

Good point 404!

Also, to me there would a be a saturation level too. After so much of the product get used, it wouldn't be as effective. To keep effectiveness, you'll have to keep repaving which would be nuts.

All to solve an environmental problem that doesn't exist!

[Lowest Ranked - I Wonder How Long I Can Make My Name Since Its National Experimental Name Day. Wow, That Was Long! @ Aug 6th 2008 6:15PM]

Why don't they just strap these to the back of your car or insert them into your muffler?

[Tyler @ Aug 6th 2008 6:17PM]

...Because excess nitrates are a major player in the etiology of cyanotic congenital heart defects. Hell, if Drs. Blalock and Taussig knew that, they could have fixed Tetralogy of Fallot without all that surgical shunting.

I'd like to propose that you [general populace] lay off the medical comments unless you are a credentialed medical professional and/or know what you're talking about.

[Peter @ Aug 6th 2008 6:18PM]

kjb434 - Are you saying air pollution doesn't exist?

[phanbouy @ Aug 6th 2008 6:36PM]

@Tyler

so only civil engineers can discuss bridges? and electrical engineers can discuss computer processors?

therefore no one is allowed to mention that nitrates are correlated with blue baby syndrome? surrrrrre

[michael @ Aug 7th 2008 1:03AM]

High levels of nitrates can destroy fish populations as well. High levels of almost anything can have negative effects. I hope they do some research before they lay this stuff, or pass out an electric car to all things Dutch in between doing so.

[Wwhat @ Aug 6th 2008 10:23PM]

The issue is that the EU guidelines have set a maximum of air pollution in cities, and now all dutch cities are facing a big problem since they are all way over those allowed levels.
Couple that with the general incompetence of your average city council and you got amusing chaos.

[Wwhat @ Aug 6th 2008 10:32PM]

Oh and yes, these people WILL be willing to have the problem show up elsewhere as long as the guidelines are met, seeing that they receive less EU money if they don't meet standards and for them it's the money not the health of the people that's important, and not because they want money for the citizens but because they are generally very corrupt and funnel a lot of the money into their own holdings, or the holdings of relatives and friends, who then in turn are doing their part in the corruption cycle.

[Bobs @ Aug 6th 2008 6:06PM]

I sure could use that brick to bash out my damn yellow teeth.

[James`095 @ Aug 6th 2008 6:35PM]

Without knowing more details, it's impossible to say how long it will last. If the stuff is just a catalyst then in theory it will last indefinitely as it is not actually used up in the reaction, or clogged with reagents.

[i bet i can come with a longer name than yous on this experimental name day. but it will not be too clever. i just dont have the @ Aug 6th 2008 6:49PM]

hey, nice pun!

[When you enter a name and email address you'll be sent a link to confirm your comment, and a password. To leave another comment @ Aug 6th 2008 9:28PM]

What don't you have?

[a @ Aug 6th 2008 6:52PM]

I "LOVE" my yellow teeth

[chris @ Aug 6th 2008 10:29PM]

i suddenly had visions of the joker smiling as i read that.

[Tyler @ Aug 6th 2008 6:52PM]

If they were correlated, then it'd be no problem; as it stands, nitrates are not a cause of cyanotic congenital heard defects. If you believe they are, you probably also believe that vaccines cause autism.

You also missed the part at the end that said, "...and/or know what you're talking about." As I am not civil or electrical engineer, I don't make comments about subjects I know nothing about. However, as I am in a fellowship for general surgery, I will make a comment I am required to know something about.

[JakeB @ Aug 6th 2008 7:07PM]

Can I add and say that hearing/reading about from a news source doesn't mean that you know about it? I have a feeling someone will put a link in here to prove that nitrates cause baby blue syndrom or whatever.

Everyone needs to realize that medical tests only show that there is a correlation between certain things and diseases. In order to prove that they cause you would have to invent/create/find the cure to the disease based on the correlation. Until you can, there is no proof of anything, jsut a correlation

[Wwhat @ Aug 6th 2008 10:27PM]

I think regardless of any specific syndromes it's obvious that a massive amount of nitrates getting into your drinking water would be something you'd want to avoid right? if not perhaps we can have you guys volunteer to purify polluted water by drinking it.

[JakeB @ Aug 6th 2008 11:05PM]

Ummm, maybe we should ask someone who works at a water treatment plant if their water treatment gets rid of nitrates. Don't come to conlusions too fast. Plus, I dont think rain water goes straight back into our drinking water. It has to be in the ground for a certain amount of time. At least thats what it is in SoCal

[yellowrose @ Aug 14th 2008 8:56AM]

Hmmm, are you also in a fellowship for the conceit of the medical profession?

Your reply sounds like common MD mindset.

Lord you knowledge over everyone else, dismiss anyone else's attempts at addressing the subject. Allow no one else to comment unless they are well-versed in medical terminology.

Luckily you didn't ask for a fee!!!! .....or we all would have had to fork over $150!!!

Here's free advice....try a little humility and common helpfulness...stop with the smackdowns.

[Dillon @ Aug 6th 2008 7:08PM]

Man, those Netherlanders sure are being crafty this week. First a flying energy kite, and now this. Glad to see they've started to expand outside the dam and windmill business.

[Wwhat @ Aug 8th 2008 8:42AM]

And XTC ;) and beer and cheese of course, oh and oil and gas.
Come to think of it, if they made some decent movies they'd got the whole 'american way of life' covered.

[Samurai Jack @ Aug 6th 2008 7:12PM]

Well I hope the Dutch are prepared for an increase in algae in their waterways. Those nitrates might be harmless to humans but they make great plant food. Ultimately it will lead to different environmental problem.

[phanbouy @ Aug 6th 2008 7:15PM]

i would imagine that the existing nitrate contamination in surface waters is orders of magnitude higher than in the air on a mass basis.

and one things's for sure, the ozone that's formed in the atmosphere with NOx's react with UV is highly toxic.

still, better to avoid polluting in the first place.

[phanbouy fan @ Aug 6th 2008 7:24PM]

phanbouy knows about tech and the ecosystem and also he knows about clothes

so when he says we should avoid polluting you need to listen, he's right

[phanbouy fan fan @ Aug 6th 2008 7:27PM]

YAY! my biggest idol 'phanbouy fan' is back to set the record STRAIGHT!

henceforth phanbouy shall:

1) not discuss on any obvious fucking things like that ozone is bad for you

2) refrain from making jokes that my bestest idol 'phanbouy fan' can't comprehend

3) in fact, refrain from commenting altogether because he made my cry the other day and hurt my feewings

[phanbouy fan fan @ Aug 6th 2008 7:34PM]

oh, and i almost forgot. avoiding pollution is zomg like TOTALLYy gay too!

[phanbouy fan fan fan @ Aug 6th 2008 9:59PM]

What is going on here?

[phanbouy fan @ Aug 6th 2008 10:54PM]

welcome to the party, man

[Chris Macdonald @ Aug 6th 2008 8:45PM]

can't they just take technology like this and put it in your muffler?

[phanbouy @ Aug 6th 2008 8:46PM]

that's what...

[Dillon @ Aug 6th 2008 11:12PM]

A catalytic converter?

[Chris Macdonald @ Aug 6th 2008 8:46PM]

can't they just take the technology and put it somewhere in your exhaust?

[phanbouy @ Aug 6th 2008 8:54PM]

well they don't call it "exhaust diving"

[Chris Macdonald @ Aug 6th 2008 8:47PM]

fuck.......

[Chris Macdonald @ Aug 6th 2008 8:51PM]

well since i already dominated this part of the page, i guess i'll get some trolling done just to top it off

[Chris Macdonald @ Aug 6th 2008 8:57PM]

LOL ...but can it play doom LOL LOL LOL SO FUNNY AND IRONIC

[Chris Macdonald @ Aug 6th 2008 8:58PM]

...SOMEHOW

[Chris Macdonald @ Aug 6th 2008 8:59PM]

OMG BUT WILL IT BLEND?!?!?!?!?!

[Wormbolt @ Aug 6th 2008 10:22PM]

So, in summary, smoke 'em if you got 'em.