SmogStop roadside barrier neutralises emissions

First published in Intertraffic Innovation News - May 11, 2020

Pollution reaching streets and houses adjacent to major roads can be reduced by up to 90 per cent using a new roadside barrier called SmogStop according to Gramm Barriers, the UK-based European importer for the Canadian manufacturer Envision.

The TL-4 crash rated aluminium-framed barriers feature two 2cm-thick acrylic walls 25cm apart with the outer wall extending above (and angled over) the inner one to increase airflow between the photocatalytic-coated walls. The action of sunlight on the catalytic coating breaks down NOx & VOCs into harmless by-products.

An independent six-month trial of a 6.5m high, 15m segment along Highway 401 near the Canadian city of Toronto, showed an average reduction of 49 per cent in NOx levels outside the barrier and during peak daylight hours the reduction increased to as high as 95 per cent.