May 6, 2024

Katie Ngo

10th Grade

Fountain Valley High School

Imagine trying to step outside for a breath of fresh air, only to be met with pollution and smog. For the people in Beijing, China, this has long been their reality, with Beijing historically struggling to lower levels of smog and pollution in the air. In its fight against air pollution, Beijing has invested in numerous solutions, including the Smog Free Project proposed by Studio Roosegaarde. 

After visiting Beijing, Daan Roosegaarde, tired of the prolific air pollution, designed a tower that would hopefully solve the city’s problem. The Smog Free Tower takes in polluted air, purifies it, and emits clean air. It might seem unassuming from the outside, just a seven-foot aluminum tower fitted with vents, but it has proven very effective. The tower can make the surrounding air around 75% cleaner, separating the clean air and the pollutant particles. 

The tower cleans 30,000 m³ of air per hour, providing air for about 104,000 daily. It functions through positive ionization technology, purifying the air from even the smallest particles, which are often the most dangerous. Particles such as PM2.5 are small enough to pass through the body’s protective membrane and are among the particles that the smog tower targets. The tower runs chiefly on green energy, only using around 1170 watts, roughly the amount used by a toaster oven.  

Although its ability to gather pollution from the air is wonderful for residents, it begs the question of what to do with the excess pollutants. There was not much to make or do with pollution, but to safely get rid of it. However, when taking a closer look at the pollutants, Roosegaarde found that they were primarily made of carbon, the element that creates diamonds. Studio Roosegaarde, seeing their collection pollution, proposed an idea: What if we made jewelry? Thus, the Smog-Free Ring was born. 

Composed of compressed smog particles encased in a clear resin cub, this ring, which had been made as an afterthought, made the Smog Free Project more widely known. In addition to aiding the fight for cleaner air, these rings have also been used in engagements and proposals. Though they can no longer be bought, couples used to buy the Smog Free Rings to represent their love for each other and the environment.

Looking into the future, Studio Roosegaarde wants to continue to further their Smog Free Project, with their most recent addition being the Smog Free Bicycle. They are preparing to implement towers in new locations, with their most recent addition in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates in February 2024. In addition, they plan on manufacturing new rings, with former rings available to view in museums.