Student Researchers in Punjab Develop Algae-Based Air Purifier
For the past few months, Indian capital Delhi and other major cities in the country have been suffering from severe air pollution. Many solution were implemented but nothing seemed to neutralise the noxious air. Targeting to produce an effective solution to this problem, student researchers in Punjab have developed an algae-based air purifier.
Team of student researchers has developed algae-based air purifier / Image: India Times
The air purifier named OX-C was jointly developed by a group of student researchers from Lovely Professional University (LPU Jalandhar) and IISER Mohali. It claims not only to neutralise 98 percent of the contaminants in the air but to increase the amount of oxygen indoors, making them more breathable.
The inspiration for the project came from the ongoing space research to produce oxygen in space using algae.
Several air purifiers are available in the market, which works on similar principles that filter the pollutants through carbon and HEPA filters. The device uses an in-built container filled with marine algae that decontaminates the indoor air and effectively removes 98 percent of the toxic industrial gases like carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and sulphur oxides and further infuses oxygen in the filtered air.
Also Read: Delhi Gets First-Ever Smog Tower to Battle Escalating Air Pollution
OX-C air purifier produces biomass as the byproduct of the photosynthesis process which can further be sold for producing energy by industries like bio development products, FMCG and pharmaceuticals. The team that included BTech students Anant Kumar Rajput and Deepak Deb, has also created a working prototype of the product.
OX-C and its higher version OX-C 2.0 are expected to be commercialised by September 2020 and will cost about Rs 18,000 and Rs 25,000 respectively. The team is currently working on algae-based face masks which they expect to develop by mid of 2020.
After successful trials of the product, they have filed for the patent and are discussing its commercialisation with industry experts.
Via: India Times
