HOW IT WORKS

Air pollution comes in different forms: particles and gases. Gases as well as particles are related to severe health impacts and are a major reason for illness and premature deaths around the world. The WHO ranks air pollution as 4th leading cause of death worldwide, stating that 92% of the world’s population is affected by sub-standard air quality.

Many cars have particle filters as part of their ventilation system, which claim to remove dust and pollen. Unfortunately many of these filters are very ineffective and let up to 90% of particles slip through into the inside of the car. The situation is even worse for gaseous pollutants which include nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), ozone, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a large group of chemicals of which some are carcinogenic and others associated with obnoxious odours. Gases can enter most car cabins practically unhindered.

When driving in a city at rush hour, whether it is as a commuter or doing the school run with kids, cars often end up being stuck in traffic jams. Daily commuting times get significantly longer due to dense traffic, adding hours of sitting in some of the worst air to people’s daily exposure tally to air pollution. In stop-and-go traffic or traffic jams, cars are very close to each other and one car’s air intake is therefore close to the next car’s exhaust. Studies have shown that pollution levels can be significantly higher inside the car compared to when walking next to the same road. Cars emit both significant amounts of particles and gases, with NO₂ being a prominent component.

The airbubbl is the first product to solve the problem of in-car air quality for both particles and gases including NO₂. The airbubbl is a stand-alone product that does not require any changes to the car’s ventilation system, but that instead is installed very easily inside the car. The airbubbl is powered using a standard cigarette lighter or a power bank and is very easy to operate.

Air is drawn into the airbubbl at 360°, cleaned and then directed to the driver and passengers. The airbubbl uses a unique filtration technique specifically designed to trap particles and NO₂, and many other air pollutants commonly found in traffic. The design of the airbubbl ensures that the clean air reaches the only thing that matters – the people inside the car. It’s a stylish product equipped with two powerful fans that deliver 35m 3 /h of clean air, which replaces the air inside a typical car roughly every 3 minutes. We have shown in numerous simulations, laboratory tests and real-world tests that the airbubbl works and cleans air of both particles and gases.

The airbubbl is controlled very easily by a button, or via Bluetooth using the airbubbl app on a smartphone. The filter can be replaced by the user after approximately 6 months, or when the app indicates that it is time for a change.

While the airbubbl was designed for in-car usage, it can also be used in other settings, including at work or in a pram or a child’s room, since it is powered via USB. This way, the airbubbl provides clean air wherever people need it.