Clean as you go: Edsa wall art to double as air purifier

As motorists, we usually give little thought to vehicle emissions, despite the obvious ill effects of such poisonous gases. We keep our windows tightly shut and our aircon vents permanently on “recirculate.” But the instant we step out of our vehicle, we smell and breathe in all the noxious fumes, all the same.

Pollution is heavily concentrated along major thoroughfares, and one of the most polluted roads is the bus parking lot known as Edsa. With hundreds of thousands of vehicles traveling on Edsa every day, the pollution levels along the major road are several multiples of the safe level set by the World Health Organization.

Boysen paints recently announced a project that will help reduce nitrous oxide pollution along Edsa. The company will sponsor eight large-scale art projects which will double as air purifiers. The paintings will use Boysen’s Knoxout paint, which has the capability to convert nitrous oxides into nitric acid. This is in turn neutralized by alkaline calcium carbonate in the paint. The reported result is harmless quantities of calcium nitrate, and negligible amounts of carbon dioxide and water. Knoxout paint contains titanium dioxide, which acts as a catalyst in the process, as long as it is exposed to light.

The technology has already been tested on the Guadalupe MRT station, which was painted with Knoxout. The Manila Observatory oversaw the project, while Ateneo de Manila’s Philippine Institute for Pure and Applied Chemistry did the data analysis. The study reportedly showed that the Knoxout painted on the station walls and surrounding areas effectively cleaned the emissions of over 30,000 cars passing by the station every day.

The new project involves artwork to be designed by selected artists and designers, including social realist painter Jose Tence Ruiz, Asuncion Imperial and Damien Anne, and Neal Oshima. The first artwork will be painted along the wall of San Lorezo Village in Makati. Each one will be around 1,000 square meters, to maximize the effect of the pollution-scrubbing paint.

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How to cut your emissions footprint:

Car manufacturers and motorists here don’t quote emissions figures, unlike horsepower and fuel mileage, indicating that emissions are rarely on our mind. Here’s some practical advice on lessening the negative effect of your driving:

Drive less: Every second that your vehicle is running, it emits carbon and nitrous oxides (The only exceptions are the cars that can shut their engines down when not needed, such as most hybrids.) The only surefire way to cut your emissions is to drive less, by going carpool or taking the MRT.

Drive smaller: Lighter vehicles require smaller engines, and this usually results in less pollution.

Plan your trips: Combining your errands into a single journey minimizes having to ply the same route multiple times, each time spewing more toxic gases in the air.

Reduce weight: We refer to the car’s weight, not yours. Take out the unnecessary items in your car to allow it to squeeze more mileage

Drive smarter: If you can, time your journey during less congested hours, and avoid revving the engine beyond 2000 rpm.