Smell of success: Hong Kong researcher aims to improve environment through air purification method that can lower stink
- Cathy Jim has created products that purify the air by turning pollutants into water and carbon dioxide
- Her patented technology absorbs and decomposes pollutants without causing secondary damage to the environment
From toilets to sewage ways and pig farms, Cathy Jim Ka-wai is used to places that smell bad, because it is all part of work.
The research chemist, who specialises in air purification and disinfection, provides professional advice to clients in the public and private sectors in many cities, including Hong Kong, on improving indoor air quality.
Her work involves the use of technology to remove volatile organic compounds, bacteria, viruses, particulates, allergens and odours.
“I have been to so many places known for unpleasant smells,” the researcher said, adding she also had to put up with pests attracted to the stink, such as flies, when surveying sites. “To help our clients solve a problem, we have to inspect the place ourselves to evaluate the situation.”
The researcher seeks to offer a total solution to achieve long-term efficacy and sustainable development goals.
Jim said she believed a process known as nano confined catalytic oxidation (NCCO), which she has helped develop at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, could be the answer.
The method uses an air-purification technology that turns pollutants into water and carbon dioxide. While activated carbon absorption, which is widely applied in products for the removal of contaminants, can result in industrial waste from discarded used carbon filters that were replaced, NCCO absorbs and decomposes pollutants without causing secondary damage to the environment.
Using the patented air treatment technology, Jim and her team at RHT Industries have developed a range of products for ventilation systems. They also contributed to the city’s fight against the Covid-19 pandemic by providing solutions centred on killing the virus in elderly care homes, quarantine facilities and community testing centres.
Jim said her team hoped to do their bit to help nursing homes cope with the health crisis.
“We want to use our NCCO technology and equipment to improve people’s quality of life,” she added.
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The annual event, co-organised by the South China Morning Post and property developer Sino Group, honours the achievements of remarkable people whose endeavours may otherwise go unnoticed.
Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation recommended Jim for the innovation award category, which recognises individuals behind breakthrough technologies or inventions that benefit society.
Jim said the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation had provided her team with support for business development.
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She recalled that Hong Kong’s community was less keen to embrace new technologies nearly 20 years ago when her company first started. In commercialising their research, she said her team had put a lot of work into introducing its significance to clients.
She expressed gratitude to colleague Rudy Chan Chi-keung, who helped her hone her commercial negotiation skills. The researcher also thanked her chemistry teacher Ha Man-leung, who kindled her interest in the subject at secondary school.
