Pollution-eating moss

A little forest in the city itself. No, this is not about your typical garden or park, nor about a bunch of traditional trees. Its name is City Tree and, according to its devisers, provides environmental protection through 275 natural trees. Thanks to it, the issue of pollution could become a little less worrisome.

City Tree, developed by German scientists, is all about an attentive, shrewd and smart kind of moss. This plant is capable of devouring harmful nitrogen dioxide and carbon dioxide particles, while generating oxygen and cooling the air surrounding it.

These German researchers have designed a wall with this type of moss, characterized by being used to endure without soil and behaving naturally as an air filter. In addition, it stores polluting particles, transforming them into nutrients eventually.

Moss is a family of plants comprised of multiple species, but the ones chosen for this project seem to be the most pollution-absorbing. Another one of its peculiarities is its wider and leafy surface when compared to any other variety, and it’s capable of hoarding huge amounts of polluting agents: CO2, nitrogen oxide and dust.

This wall brings together hundreds of plants and can be placed anywhere

Cities are not exactly characterized by their ample green spaces. The added value provided by trees is oxygen delivery, absorption of pollutants and water evaporation. This way, they reduce air temperature.
And that’s precisely the reason behind the sustainable, moss-based concept devised by German company Green City Solutions. The capability of hundreds of trees is agglutinated in a small frame, just four metres high by three metres wide. Its compact dimensions turn it into an ideal device to be placed anywhere. This eye-catching piece of equipment is capable of incorporating also a bench, thus providing even more functionality to the environment while occupying just 1% of any given grove.

Another strong point is their innovative in-built irrigation system. Completely automated, it provides nutrients thanks to a water tank located in its middle section. Besides, it stores rainwater, making it even more sustainable and self-sufficient.

Energy efficiency, in turn, is achieved through solar panels capable of generating power so that this moss forest can turn and its batteries are charged at all times. In addition, its structure is exclusively comprised of completely eco-friendly, recyclable materials.

This plant wall also features sensors capable of evaluating soil moisture, water quality and ambient temperature. These are joined by other devices capable of collecting data regarding air quality and its efficiency, sending them to the company eventually in order to be analysed.
Currently, these small vertical gardens are already located in 25 cities around the globe: Modena, Oslo, Hong Kong, Glasgow, and several German cities. Their installation is performed under six hours, and their maintenance is easy and affordable: just 2500€ per year.

So if one of these days while taking a walk you happen to encounter one, take a seat and inhale deeply, since you’re most likely breathing clean and fresh air in the middle of the city.

Sources: BBC News, Idealista, Green City Solutions
Images: Green City Solutions