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CITIZEN
world • fund • tackle • active • government • country • developing • agency • social structure • community • regional • contribution
C2
CHÚ Breathe fresh air everywhere Air pollution causes 16% of all deaths worldwide, or 9 million deaths annually, about half of which is attributed to indoor air pollution and half of which is attributed to outdoor air pollution (Landrigan et al. 2017). The most prolific product solution in large metropolitan areas is the common blue surgical mask, but these masks are unsealed and incapable of filtering out the majority of harmful particulates. CHÚ is a simple and stylish solution to the global air pollution epidemic. The CHÚ device is designed to filter particulates from the air down to 0.3 μm, an order of magnitude finer than surgical masks seen in cities like Beijing and Delhi. CHÚ is comprised of two main parts — a pair of tusks and a filter. The air intake, located at the back of CHÚ, allows atmospheric air to enter into a series of tortuous-path filters and continue through the tusks directly into the nostrils. The filter contains a replaceable cartridge which can be “tuned” to various geographic locations based on local pollutant types and levels of particulates in the air. A silicone gel ring seals the perimeter space between each nostril and CHÚ, preventing unfiltered air from entering the nose during each breathing cycle. Exhaled air is purged through one-way gill valves located near the tips of the tusks, just under the nostrils. The design of CHÚ maximizes the filtration of harmful air contaminants, but also takes fashion and ergonomics into consideration. When idle, CHÚ is draped around the neck as an accessory or adornment.
Anesta Iwan and Kate Spies