Serbian scientists are helping purify the air in cities with what they call liquid trees. The tanks full of microalgae bind carbon dioxide and produce oxygen through photosynthesis.
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00:00It has no leaves, branches or roots, but you could say this is a tree, a liquid tree if
00:13you like.
00:14The 600-litre water tank in Belgrade's city centre contains microalgae and is a photobioreactor.
00:22The algae photosynthesise.
00:24Just like any regular tree or plant, they absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen,
00:30and they purify the air from harmful particles.
00:34The brain behind the idea is biophysicist Ivan Spasojevic.
00:38He stresses that it's not intended to replace real trees.
00:44Liquid tree is designed to target areas where you can't plant a normal tree.
00:49For example, where we're standing now, we already have two trees.
00:53You couldn't plant a third one between them because their canopies would overlap and it
00:57wouldn't be able to grow.
01:00Belgrade is home to five of the 15 most polluted districts in Europe.
01:06And Serbia is one of the most air-polluted countries on the continent.
01:11Liquid trees could help improve the air quality.
01:14They're quick to set up and require little maintenance.
01:17A solar panel is included too, making the Belgrade liquid tree multifunctional.
01:23As the tank purifies the air, it becomes greener.
01:28The first time I saw this, it was still turquoise, and I thought it was some aquarium installation.
01:34I think it's great that there's a place to sit and charge your phone halfway between
01:39my house and the city centre.
01:40If it can really help purify the air and regulate the pollution we have here, then I think it's
01:46a great innovation.
01:47I like that there are alternative solutions.
01:54And as if that wasn't enough, the man behind the award-winning project stresses something
01:59else he wants to achieve.
02:06Our goal is to send a message that it's important to fight for better urban air quality, that
02:10protecting the environment is important, and I think Liquid Tree sends that message.