Poland is one of Europe’s most polluted countries, in a world where, according to the WHO, 93 percent of children breathe in polluted air while they play.
To protect Poland’s children from air pollution, an innovative park, called the AirBubble, was erected in central Warsaw, next to Copernicus Science Center. It’s scheduled to remain until November with the potential of becoming a permanent fixture. There are plans to install AirBubbles in other cities across Poland as well.
The AirBubble is a mesmerizing structure that is outfitted with dozens of cylindrical glass bioreactors with algae immersed in water. The algae absorb the polluting molecules and CO2 from air pumped in from below the glass, then, the green organisms release clean oxygen from the top of the bioreactors so that children can breathe good quality air while they play. This creates a microclimate inside the AirBubble.
According to Stanislaw Loboziak from Copernic Science Centre’s biological laboratory, “this playground has a positive aspect in terms of education and information” as children become curious about the vibrant green liquid that surrounds the park. “It also serves to convince citizens of this technology, especially those who do not know that more than half of the oxygen on Earth is produced in the oceans by algae.”
Image Source: GSK Group of Companies
