Background

Air pollution in major cities like Amsterdam, London, Mexico City, Detroit and Beijing is not something abstract. It is something people face on a very concrete way on a daily basis. It's not uncommon to see cyclists or maintenance workers wearing filter masks. And if you have a little ride on the metro you can actually see the pollution sitting on your skin, feel it in your throat, in your eyes and under your nails.

Air pollution comes in many different flavours. It is a well documented fact that air polution not only damages the environment but has strong health implications for humans and other animals alike. For example carbon monoxide, which comes from burning fossile fuels, lowers the amount of oxygen that enters our blood and makes us confused and sleepy. But scarier is lead that can cause nervous system damage and digestive problems leading even to cancer, especially in kids.

With the growth of the world population and the increase of emerging industrial economies such as in China and India, the use of motor vehicles is on the rise. Therefore it seems unlikely that a decrease in air pollution will occur naturely in the near future.