Professor Lewis’s analysis of ways to tackle air pollution (10 ways to beat air pollution: how effective are they?, theguardian.com, 15 February) is disappointingly dismissive of technology that can work in bus shelters or other pollution hotspots. While these solutions can’t clean an entire atmosphere, there are places where they can make a huge difference and it would be shortsighted to sweep them aside.
Tests at King’s College London have independently verified that our technology can clean the air of dangerous and pervasive nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter in pollution hotspots. It can reduce exposure to pollution in bus shelters, tube stations, and potentially hospitals or schools, by up to 80%. The mixing of the atmosphere does not therefore “completely outweigh the benefits” as Professor Lewis claims.
The UK’s repeated breach of legal air pollution limits has been widely reported, with costs to public health estimated at £20bn a year. As UK cities grapple with how to reduce air pollution, they should explore technology like ours, which can reduce harmful exposure and improve the health of their citizens. The next step for this technology is a large-scale pilot – perhaps at a tube or bus station. We are willing to fund that pilot; we just need a willing host and partner.
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