From nose filters to charcoal bags, bad air is good business

From nose filters to charcoal bags, bad air is good business

An air quality index between 0 and 50 is considered good. A day after Diwali the AQI in Delhi stood at 390, which means very polluted air. But Lavanshi Jain, an asthma patient residing in Rohini in north Delhi, was not too worried. Every day she steps out of her house wearing a pair of thin mesh-like nostril filters. "It has helped me breathe better, and my asthma attacks have reduced," believes Jain. 

Jain is using a product called Nasofilters, developed by Nanoclean Global, a startup based in Delhi, in collaboration with researchers from IIT-Delhi. These filters are made with a special cellulose-based fibre and claim to trap microscopic pollutants like PM 2.5 and 10. "It's use-and-throw. Each pair costs Rs 10 and can be worn for 10-12 hours daily," says Jatin Kewlani, COO, Nanoclean Global. 

Rising air pollution levels have spawned a mini industry of anti-pollution products that go beyond air purifiers and face masks. From small bags of activated charcoal that clean up indoor air to bigger outdoor devices, the catalogue of anti-pollution merchandise is growing. Bengaluru-based startup Devic Earth has developed a device, Pure Skies, which uses radio waves to scatter pollutants like PM 2.5 and 10, nitrogen oxide and sulphur dioxide. 

"Technology can be useful but it cannot stand alone," reasons Anumita Roychowdhury, a senior expert on air pollution at the Centre for Science and Environment. In an article in Down to Earth, Roychowdhury writes: "More than the technology prowess, it is important to follow the basic principles of public health protection which demand control of pollution sources and reduction of direct exposure for millions…"