A Canadian company’s “smog-eating” highway noise wall technology, aimed at trapping air pollutants emitted by vehicles, is currently being tested on highways in Toronto and the U.K. Proponents say it can reduce overall air pollution by 50%.
The technology, called SmogStop Barrier, features a double-walled design with an angled baffle to direct traffic emissions between the two wall segments where a photocatalytic coating breaks down pollutants. The wall also generates air vortices and enhances vertical mixing of emissions with cleaner air, further decreasing pollution levels, according to provider Envision SQ.