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Indoor air pollution (NOx) zapper

Catalytic converter from a car, indoors. This gets rid of NOx which saves lives
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Recently I read that air pollution is associated with deaths and illness, particularly at the developing world.

Wikipedia says, “nitrogen dioxide is responsible for 23,500 premature UK deaths per annum” So globally that could be over a million.

A technology could put automotive style catalytic converters indoors very cheaply.

A recycled catalytic converter is about $125-200. So, noting that the volume of air indoors is far smaller than the volume of a continuous stream of exhaust, perhaps 1/100th the amount of platinum catalyst could be used.

So, for just $1 or $2 the core component of the air purifier could be constructed. It could be heated with a filament, or perhaps a laser pointer making a high temperature spot with a fan blowing air past the catalyst.

Places such as China frequently have indoor particulate filters now. This could be an added feature. A $5 standalone unit might be possible with mass production.

beanangel, Dec 08 2017

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       // “nitrogen dioxide is responsible for 23,500 premature UK deaths per annum” So globally that could be over a million. //   

       Before becoming overly concerned about that number, perhaps it would be wise to establish accurately just how many of those individuals your world is better off without ?   

       John Donne's assertion that "any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee." is glib and ill-considered. That bell tolling might equally well a cue for a song, specifically "Ding, dong, the witch is dead ! "   

       Considering the vast numbers of talent-free worthless gits allowed to wander round unchecked, following careers in journalism, law, or politics, and using up perfectly good oxygen that could be better employed to sustain thieves, drug dealers and child-molesters, a bit of research would yield large dividends.
8th of 7, Dec 09 2017
  

       Another version of this could work at central HVAC where a possibly regular sized catalytic converter could remove all the NOx from whole-building air circulated at office towers.   

       They could have a sensor at the HVAC to find out how much NOx there was in the circulating air then energize appropriately.
beanangel, Dec 09 2017
  

       // energize appropriately //   

       So for government buildings, could it release Zyklon-B into the air handlers ?   

       That would be a huge benefit.
8th of 7, Dec 09 2017
  
      
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