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Air pollution

Air pollution from industry production

Re-inventing clean air for industrial polluters

23. April 2015
GPAO

Solution provider

University of Copenhagen

To meet the global challenges of the 21st century, all faculties at the University, including experts in law, economy, health, social, and natural science, are engaged in high quality sustainability research.

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Gas Phase Advanced Oxidation, or GPAO, is a novel method to remove industrial contaminants from air. Because GPAO uses very little energy and requires almost no maintenance, it is uniquely cost efficient for removing gas phase pollution, including Sulphur compounds and hydrocarbons. It also removes ozone, nitrogen oxides, and harmful particulate matter including pollen, spores and virus.

How does it work?
GPAO mimics the natural self-cleaning mechanism of the Earth atmosphere. Inside GPAO, air pollution is exposed to ozone and light. This stimulates the production of free radicals which attack pollution. As single molecules bond into ever larger structures, gas is transformed into particles of dust. And whereas gas was difficult to remove, dust is easy.

Perspectives
Many countries are introducing tough emission laws because air pollution is linked to 7 million premature deaths every year. Pollution in air also causes heart disease, cancer, asthma, allergy, lost productivity and irritation. Many industries are unable to meet emerging emission goals using current technology. This threatens their existence.

GPAO is a University of Copenhagen patent and has been tested on iron foundries, waste water treatment facilities, plastic production, and even in industrial pig farming. Though still in development, it already removes 85 to 97 percent of hydrocarbons, VOC’s, virus and spores.