APCOM

'Eat-smog' paints and asphalt to fight air pollution. This is the experimentation chosen by Milano's city council in order to reduce the levels of nitrogen dioxide and thin dusts in some locations. The test has just started at Famagosta exchange parking lot, in the southern part of the metropolis, where every day 1,700 buses travel. Within a week, the whole 16,000 square metre-area will be completely painted and covered with the innovative products.

The choice has fallen on Famagosta because two months ago a survey showed that the concentration of thin dusts is almost double compared with that of other parts in the city. The project costs around 600,000 euros and benefits from a convention granted by the regional government. The surface of the area will be painted and asphalted by photocatalytic products which are able to absorb and reduce pollutants also thanks to the 200 ultraviolet lamps that will be installed.

These products had already been used in 2004 in Porpora avenue's tunnel and gave good results: four years ago, nitrogen dioxides decreased by 23%. "By June we will see the outcome and we will decide whether to repeat the experimentation" said Edoardo Croci, municipal councillor for Mobility "New tests have proved that a 60% reduction could be reached. If so, we could apply these substances in all the metropolis' critical areas, as is happening both in Japan and in Brazil."