MoDOT begins trial for 'smog-eating' concrete

TOWN AND COUNTRY, Mo. (AP) -- A new type of concrete being tested in suburban St. Louis seeks to provide not only a smooth ride but cleaner air.

KMOX Radio (http://cbsloc.al/vnpfWo) reports the Missouri Department of Transportation and contractor Fred Weber Inc. are working on the project on a section of Route 141 in west St. Louis County. A layer of cement is put down, then crews apply a photo-catalytic additive of titanium dioxide.

MoDOT engineer Jesse Jonas says the additive acts as something of a sponge for air pollutants. UV rays from the sun activate the concrete, which then breaks the pollution down to where it is harmless.

MoDOT says results in places like Italy show that the process reduces up to 40 percent of hazardous nitrogen dioxide.

___

Information from: KMOX-AM, http://www.kmox.com