One of the deadliest substances of this, or any lifetime can be one hundred percent prevented by a simple decision to quit before it’s too late. Cigarettes kill 480,000 people from direct smoking, and 41,000 from secondhand smoke each year in the U.S. alone.
Now, the Korean Institute of Science and Technologies team of scientists have developed a nano-catalyst filter coated with a manganese oxide-based nano-catalyst, which eliminates 100 percent of one of the main deadly carcinogens in secondhand smoke. This innovation will dramatically decrease the global number deaths related to secondhand smoke if used on a large scale, and that’s exactly what the plan is.
Smoke filters have been around for a long time, why is this one any different?
Filters used previously for the elimination of smoke not only failed to filter out all of the harmful chemicals in smoke, but they are also unreliable, often requiring a great deal of replacement filters to continue performing at all. The nano-catalyst that the Korean researchers have built, works by utilizing a managanese oxide based nano-catalyst powder in conjunction with a ceramic filter, which converts 100% of nicotine and tar in the air into clean water vapor and carbon dioxide. A nano-catalyst filter also illiminates 100% of the toxic chemical compound, and leading causes of cancer from cigarette smoke, Acetaldehyde.
Why not stop smokers who smoke indoors instead of this new technology?
In many countries the regulations for smoking indoors are not as far along as that of the regulations in the United States. To put things in perspective 40% of all countries in the world still allowed the smoking of tobacco in hospitals in schools.
In countries with little to no regulations related to smoking in public buildings, there is little that can be done to prevent the inhalation of second hand smoke. The nano-catalyst will allow a majority of the cancer causing smoke contents to be illuminated from the white clouds that fill the room.
Dr. Jurng, one of the lead researchers on the nano-catalyst project, describes just how numerous and important the filters many applications are, “this research holds a significance since the new air cleaning equipment based on a simple catalyst successfully processes and removes gaseous materials in cigarette smoke, which are not easily removed with the existing air cleaning technologies. If the new equipment can be simplified and is economically feasible, it will be an important tool for keeping smoking room pleasant and clean. Also, from the convergence perspective, the new nanometer catalyst filter can be integrated with other air cleaning products such as air purifiers and air conditioners.”
It may be too late for millions who are already suffering from the negative effects, but the nano-catalyst filter is expected to be released for consumers in the next year. Thanks to the work of the Korean Institute of Science and Technology’s research team, those ailing from terrible second hand smoke, will be able to breathe a sigh of relief very soon.
