Uploaded September 2017 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
The ingenious invention from the University of Engineering and Technology of Peru is providing much-needed air purification for the nascent metropolis.
After successive citywide construction projects caused a dramatic deterioration in the air quality surrounding the nascent metropolis that is downtown Lima, the University of Engineering and Technology of Peru (UTEC), the same school responsible for the world's first water-producing billboard, decided to take an active stand towards reducing the amount of toxic dust that citizens and construction workers were breathing.
Constructing a high-meets-low-tech air-purifying billboard that hangs over the center of the city's Barranco art district, UTEC claims their new invention has already cleaned out over 3.5 million cubic feet of air, giving 49,800 people the chance breathe easier. Oh, and it's hyper-efficient, too; between March 24-30th, UTEC says billboard required only 2,500 watts of electricity per hour, effectively making it operable using a portable personal generator.
The billboard can produce 200,000 m3 of oxygen per day for a 5-block radius, which is very beneficial to construction workers and area residents. Lima has a high level of pollution, which is increased by the large number of construction sites. For this reason, the idea is an excellent opportunity for the Engineering and Technology University (UTEC) to continue demonstrating that with ‘Ingenuity in Action’, it is possible to change the world. It demonstrates this with a real-life example by building its campus without polluting the environment, thereby benefiting area residents, as well as construction workers on the project.
The ingenious invention from the University of Engineering and Technology of Peru is providing much-needed air purification for the nascent metropolis.
After successive citywide construction projects caused a dramatic deterioration in the air quality surrounding the nascent metropolis that is downtown Lima, the University of Engineering and Technology of Peru (UTEC), the same school responsible for the world's first water-producing billboard, decided to take an active stand towards reducing the amount of toxic dust that citizens and construction workers were breathing.
Constructing a high-meets-low-tech air-purifying billboard that hangs over the center of the city's Barranco art district, UTEC claims their new invention has already cleaned out over 3.5 million cubic feet of air, giving 49,800 people the chance breathe easier. Oh, and it's hyper-efficient, too; between March 24-30th, UTEC says billboard required only 2,500 watts of electricity per hour, effectively making it operable using a portable personal generator.
The billboard can produce 200,000 m3 of oxygen per day for a 5-block radius, which is very beneficial to construction workers and area residents. Lima has a high level of pollution, which is increased by the large number of construction sites. For this reason, the idea is an excellent opportunity for the Engineering and Technology University (UTEC) to continue demonstrating that with ‘Ingenuity in Action’, it is possible to change the world. It demonstrates this with a real-life example by building its campus without polluting the environment, thereby benefiting area residents, as well as construction workers on the project.
