New Dirt-Busting Fashion Gives Pollution a Kick in the Pants

November 26, 2012 from Reuters

Imagine a future in which you could scrub pollution out of the air simply by wearing clothing laundered in a detergent containing pollution-busting nanoparticles.Scientist Tony Ryan at the University of Sheffield and London College of Fashion designer Helen Storey are already experimenting with just such a detergent that turns regular jeans into what they call "catalyzed jeans," and apparently can turn us all into walking air filters.

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Pollution

Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, harm, or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light. Polluta... Explore this topic

Detergent

A detergent is a surfactant or a mixture of surfactants with "cleaning properties in dilute solutions." These substances are usually alkylbenzenesulfonates, a family of compounds that are similar to soap but are more soluble in hard water, because the polar sulfonate is less l... Explore this topic

Jeans

Jeans are trousers made from denim or dungaree cloth. Often the term "jeans" refers to a particular style of trousers, called "blue jeans" and invented by Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss in 1873. Starting in the 1950s, jeans, originally designed for cowboys, became popular among ... Explore this topic

Tony Ryan

Thomas Anthony "Tony" Ryan was an Irish billionaire, philanthropist and businessman. He was a founder of Guinness Peat Aviation as well as co-founder of Ryanair with Christy Ryan and Liam Lonergan. Ryanair was believed to be the main source of his wealth in later life: the com... Explore this topic

Air filter

A particulate air filter is a device composed of fibrous materials which removes solid particulates such as dust, pollen, mold, and bacteria from the air. A chemical air filter consists of an absorbent or catalyst for the removal of airborne molecular contaminants such as vola... Explore this topic

Clothing

Clothing is fiber and textile material worn on the body. The wearing of clothing is mostly restricted to human beings and is a feature of nearly all human societies. The amount and type of clothing worn depends on physical, social and geographic considerations. Some clothing t... Explore this topic

Helen Storey

Professor Helen Storey MBE is an award winning British artist and designer living and working in London. She is Professor of Fashion Science at the University of the Arts, London and Co-Director of The Helen Storey Foundation. Explore this topic

University of Sheffield

The University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of research intensive universities. It was also named 'University of the Yea... Explore this topic

London College of Fashion

London College of Fashion is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London, offering undergraduate, postgraduate, short courses and business-training in fashion, make-up, beauty-therapy and lifestyle industries. It is the only college in Britain to specialise in f... Explore this topic

Reuters

Reuters is an international news agency headquartered in London, United Kingdom and a division of Thomson Reuters. Until 2008, the Reuters news agency formed part of an independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data. Since the acquis... Explore this topic

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Pollution

Detergent

Jeans

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