Airports, highways and civic structures are serving as testbeds for a patented technology that uses titanium dioxide to capture pollutants, particularly nitrogen oxides, in pavements—creating “smog-eating roads.” The concept of photocatalysis with titanium dioxide is receiving increasing attention for its photoreactive effectiveness in degrading greenhouse gases.
At Orlando International Airport last year, a Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) report found that taxiway pavements sprayed with two titanium dioxide products provided by Pavement Technology Inc. (PTI) reduced nitrogen oxide rates by approximately half.