'Biosolar leaf' project aims to tackle air pollution in London
  • 5 years ago
LONDON — Scientists in the UK have created a 'biosolar leaf' that could potentially suck up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, The Guardian reports.

London's Imperial College and technology startup Arborea are collaborating to build a 'biosolar leaf' that would be capable of removing greenhouse gases while generating oxygen to disperse into the air.

Arborea founder, Julian Melchiorri, told the Guardian that this new technology is able to process carbon dioxide at an extremely low pressure.

According to an Imperial College London news release, the "biosolar leaf" was made by a cultivation system that is able to grow tiny plant life such as microalgae and phytoplankton onto a solar panel-like structure.

The developers claim that this technology could do the work of 100 trees while only using the surface area of one. They eventually plan to place the structures onto the roofs of large buildings in cities to improve air quality.

The Biosolar Leaf cultivation system will be used on the college's White City Campus South Site as a test pilot, According to the Imperial College London news release.
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