Jeans That Clean The Air

An innovative blend of fashion and science has resulted in the design of a new technology in jeans that cleans the air. Helen Storey, professor of fashion and science at The London College of Fashion, teamed up with Dr Tony Ryan, pro-vice-chancellor for the Faculty of Science at the University of Sheffield, to create what could be a ground-breaking solution to our environmental problems. 

They discovered that when denim is coated with tiny particles of the chemical titanium dioxide, it reacts with air and light to absorb and break down harmful emissions in the environment. The emissions become harmless and are washed away when the jeans are cleaned. This means we can help clean the air simply by going for a walk.

Ms Story and Dr Ryan have created a company to showcase their invention, called Catalytic Clothing. Their website says: "Catalytic Clothing seeks to explore how clothing and textiles can be used as a catalytic surface to purify air, employing existing technology in a new way." The technology is similar to how a catalytic converter in a car helps clean the fuel mix. 

Ryan makes bold claims about how effective the innovation could be. He maintains that if all of Sheffield's half a million residents wore the jeans to become walking air filters, the dangerous chemical nitrogen oxide in the city would disappear. The improvement in air quality could significantly reduce deaths and respiratory illnesses such as asthma.

EXERCISE 1. PRONUNCIATION/WORD VOCABULARY

1. innovative
Meaning: (Adjective) Ahead of time; advanced
Example Sentence: The innovative way to research is using the internet.

2. ground-breaking

Meaning: (Adjective) Characterized by originality and innovation; being or producing something like nothing done or experienced or created before.
Example Sentence: Companies should think for a ground-breaking products which are new to the eyes of the people.

3. denim

Meaning: (Noun)close-fitting trousers of heavy denim for manual work or casual wear. Some examples are jeans and trousers.
Example Sentence: It is comfortable to wear denim clothes especially when we need to work for a long time outside.

4. Catalytic converter

Meaning: (Noun) A catalytic converter (colloquially, "cat" or "catcon") is a vehicle emissions control device which converts toxic byproducts of combustion in the exhaust of an internal combustion engine to less toxic substances by way of catalysed chemical reactions.
See image: Catalytic Converter




EXERCISE 2. SHARING IDEAS

1.How important are jeans to you?
2.What do you think of jeans that clean the air?
3.What can you do to help keep the air clean?
4. How different would a city be if it was free from pollution?
5. What are the things you know about the problems in our environment?
6. Should health authorities and clothing companies invest in this technology?




***Click to see CATALYTIC CLOTHING's WEBSITE



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