ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

Dutch inventors have unveiled what they claim to be the world's first giant outdoor air vacuum cleaner.

The eight-metre long purifying system is designed to be placed on top of buildings where it filters out tiny toxic particles from the atmosphere.

"It works like a big vacuum cleaner," said Henk Boersen, spokesman for the Envinity Group which unveiled the system in Amsterdam. "A large column of air will pass through the filter and come out clear."

The system is said to be able to suck in air from a 300-metre radius and from up to seven kilometres above the machine. According to the company it can treat around 800,000 cubic metres of air an hour, filtering out 100 per cent of fine particles and 95 per cent of ultra-fine particles.

Industrial combustion and emissions from burning wood plus other fuels produce fine particles that can have "adverse effects on health" according to the European Environment Agency. They could damage the nervous system and cause infections, for example - and some may also be carcinogenic.

About 90 per cent of EU residents are said to be exposed to higher levels of particles than those stipulated in World Health Organisation recommendations. Governments, businesses and airports are already showing in the project, according to Boersen.