Air filter brick

A road under construction in Hengelo Town (Eastern Netherlands) will be tiled with air filtering features. This is an experiment by experts at the University of Twente promising to create a breakthrough in the fight against air pollution, contributing to improving air quality in cities.

This environmentally friendly tile contains titanium dioxide additives. In laboratory conditions, titanium dioxide - under the action of sunlight - will bind to the nitrogen oxide molecules emitted by car exhaust, and turn them into harmless nitrate (nitrogen fertilizer). Nitrogen oxide is produced by factories and vehicles, and is one of the major air pollutants that leads to acid rain and haze.

Half of the road will be lined with new bricks for testing while the rest will be lined with regular bricks. Researchers at the University of Twente claim that by measuring air quality in two sections, they can demonstrate the air-filtering effect of new bricks.

In addition to cleaning the air and removing dirt on the pavement, the new bricks are no different from the usual series of tiles. The road is expected to be completed by the end of this year and test results will be announced next summer.