Over the last decades, there has been growing concern regarding environmental pollution in large cities.
Nitrous oxide emissions (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in large urban centres are damaging to people’s health. These pollutants come mainly from road traffic and air traffic, from buildings and nearby industries. For this reason, the European Commission has developed several directives that aim to limit the concentration of these compounds in the air (2008/50/EC, 2001/81/EC).
This additive can be part of any element of the city, from the envelopes of the buildings to the cobbles sidewalks, making these urban elements are decontaminating elements. The most recent application of this technology involved the use of this additive to concrete slats that make up the building of the Carlos III University.