Spanish technology center Cartif is coordinating the LIFE Equinox project, which aims to improve the environment in urban areas. To this end it has come up with an idea that helps to reduce the level of nitrogen oxides (NOX) released by motor vehicles.

Cartif aims to reduce the level of atmospheric pollutants in large cities after developing a special treatment for the asphalt that is used on roadways. The product has been shown to eliminate nitrogen oxides through a chemical reaction induced by sunlight. When applied to asphalt it helps to reduce the level of NOX in the air that is released by vehicles. These gases are highly contaminating and represent one of the key indicators used to measure environmental quality in cities.

Researchers have developed a formula that uses a photocatalyst to transform atmospheric pollutants into a solid. It thereby converts NO2 into NO3, or from a gas into a nitrate salt. This salt will eventually be cleaned from a city’s streets or, thanks to rainfall, enter its water treatment system where it will be processed along with other contaminants. In both cases it is eliminated from the atmosphere. The product itself is applied to asphalt in the form of a spray and it lasts for about three years. Its useful life can vary depending on such variables as the type of pavement it is applied to and the level of traffic density.

Scientists hope to be able to use the product in 2015, once it has successfully completed testing and finished the patent application process.