Scientists are developing a paint they believe will help make Hong Kong's air cleaner.
The transparent paint, which contains the chemical titanium dioxide, will absorb and convert air pollutants, such as vehicle exhaust fumes, into harmless substances, according to Jimmy Yu Chai-mei, an associate chemistry professor at Chinese University, who led the four-year research project behind the product.
The paint can be applied to exterior building materials such as tiles and glass.
A version of the product is already available commercially on the mainland and in Japan, where it sells for 8,000 yen (HK$507) per 150 grams, enough for roughly 20 square metres.
But it will be a year before a version tailored to Hong Kong is available. The university team is now concentrating on developing a paint to tackle local pollution and atmospheric conditions.
'It may mean buildings will be able to clean themselves,' said Dr Yu, who is also director of the Environmental Science Programme at the university. 'Most [similar paint] products on the market claim they are effective in combating air pollutants, but many are not as efficient. Exhaust gases from vehicles, such as nitrogen oxide, will be converted into environmentally acceptable products.'