CHANDIGARH: Budding scientists of the Indian Institutes of Technology at Ropar and Kanpur and the faculty of Management Studies in Delhi University have developed a living-plant-based air purifier ‘Ubreathe Life’ that amplifies the air purification process in indoor spaces. These indoor spaces can either be hospitals, schools, offices or homes.
IIT Ropar’s startup company, Urban Air Laboratory, that has developed the product claims it to be world’s first, state-of-the-art ‘Smart Bio-Filter’ that can make the air fresh.
It has been incubated at IIT Ropar, which is a designated iHub - AWaDH (Agriculture and Water Technology Development Hub) by the Department of Science and Technology of the Centre.
The technology works through the air-purifying natural leafy plant. The room air interacts with leaves and goes to the soil-root zone where maximum pollutants are filtered.
The novel technology used in this product is ‘Urban Munnar Effect’ along with patent-pending “Breathing Roots” to exponentially amplify the phytoremediation process of the plants.
Phytoremediation is a process by which plants effectively remove pollutants from the air.
The plants tested for air purification include Peace Lily, Snake and Spider plants.
“This product can be a game changer for maintaining clean air indoors. The results of testing showed that the AQI (Air Quality Index) for a room size of 150 square feet dropped from 311 to 39 in fifteen minutes after using ‘Ubreathe Life’,” claims Director of IIT Ropar, Prof Rajeev Ahuja.
Dr Vinay and Dr Deepesh Agarwal from AIIMS, New Delhi say the purifier infuses oxygen in the room making it conducive to patients with breathing issues.