Academics collaborate on 'pollution-absorbing' poster

Two acclaimed scholars have collaborated on a new type of poster that utilises nanotechnology to help absorb pollutants in the air.

A scientist and an award winning poet, both at the University of Sheffield, have made the giant poster, which uses nanotechnology to eliminate pollution.

Scientist Professor Tony Ryan and award-winning poet Professor Simon Armitage, who are both residents at the University of Sheffield, say their creation is capable of absorbing the poisonous compounds from around 20 cars each day on a busy road.

They came up with the novel idea as a means of highlighting ways to cut disease and save lives by removing poisonous compounds from the air in the UK's towns and cities.

The poster itself measures 10 metres by 20 metres and is coated with microscopic nanoparticles of titanium dioxide, similar to what is used in self-cleaning windows, to "eat" the pollution.

When light hits the particles, they react with oxygen and "wash" the pollution out of the air and - although they do not take all the harmful materials out of the air, they do eliminate nitrogen oxides, which have been linked to breathing problems such as asthma.

The poster itself contains a poem written by Professor Armitage entitled In Praise of Air, which explores the importance of air quality to survival.

One caveat is that the technology used in the poster is not free, though Professor Ryan says that the relative cost compared to reduced emissions would be negligible, if rolled out across the country.

"If every banner, flag or advertising poster in the country did this, we'd have much better air quality. It would add less than £100 to the cost of a poster and would turn advertisements into catalysts in more ways than one," he told the BBC.

The poster is set to be on display in Sheffield for the next 12 months, while Professor Ryan works on another project to add nanoparticles to washing powder so clothes can soak up the poisons while people walk.