Student researchers at the University of California, Riverside developed an air-cleaning, titanium-dioxide coating for ceramic tiles.
The research, titled "Test Protocol for Evaluating Smog Reducing Roof Tiles," won an honorable mention in the second phase of the Environmental Protection Agency's People, Prosperity, and the Planet student design competition.
The choice to focus on the roof as a pollution-reducing surface is promising given the predominance of roof area that is exposed to direct sunlight and the durability and popularity of these roofing tiles, particularly in southern California. Research results estimated one residential roof can reduce smog equivalent to 11,000 miles of car travel each year!
