Herefordshire Council Press Release:
Hereford is celebrating Clean Air Day (15 June), with three moss filters.
Air pollution causes heart and lung disease and contributes to over 30,000 deaths every year in the UK. Clean air is essential for our wellbeing as well as being good for the planet, which is where the moss filters come in.
Moss is one of nature’s best air filters with the ability to absorb and metabolise fine dust and particles, helping to naturally clean the air we breathe. Moss also stores and evaporates large amounts of moisture which cools the air.
The innovative moss filters in Hereford are each about the same size as a small tree, but due to the enormous surface area of moss, a moss filter is more efficient at filtering the air. Each moss filter can clean about 80% of fine dust and particles from the air around it.
In addition to the moss filter that is established at Eign Gate, two new filters are fully installed and functional located at The Courtyard and Eign Street, areas of high traffic.
The three moss filters are fitted with smart sensors so their positive impact on local air quality can actually be monitored and quantified. You can see this information at herefordshire.gov.uk.
The moss filters have been funded jointly by the council and Marches LEP as part of the ongoing £6m Hereford City Centre Improvement project, which is enhancing the City Centre environment thanks to investment to encourage people to spend more time in the City when they visit, helping to boost the local economy.
You can find out more about Clean Air Day on the website.
