Highly efficient ‘liquid trees’ clean polluted urban air

Photo-bioreactors made from microalgae mixed with water are providing urban communities with the benefits of trees and other greenery. Designed as an emergency solution to an urgent problem, the ‘liquid trees’ are being used to clean air heavily polluted with greenhouse gases in Belgrade, one of Serbia’s main cities. Belgrade is situated close to two heavily-polluting coal power plants.

Created and designed by the University of Belgrade’s Institute for Multidisciplinary Research, the microalgae trees are called Liquid3. Each one contains 600 litres of water and removes the same amount of carbon dioxide from the air as two 10-year-old trees or 200 square metres of lawn. Crucially, the installations work during the winter months as well as the warmer, more sunny summer months.

Springwise