Illegal logging and rampant agriculture have reduced the number of trees across the world.
This is particularly true in Mexico and other parts of Latin America. BiomiTech is a Mexican company that has found a potential solution with its carbon-guzzling mechanical tree, BioUrban.
Within these contraptions lay microalgae. The organic cultures take in carbon dioxide as well as other air-based contaminants. In turn, these organic machines release purified oxygen into the environment, replicating natural phenomena in the process.
“What this system does through technology is inhale air pollution and use biology to carry out the natural process of photosynthesis, just like a tree,” said Jaime Ferrer, a co-founder of Biomi
Absorbing as much air pollution as 368 real trees, BioUrban stands at 4.2 meters tall and is approximately 3 meters wide. The device looks like a futuristic palm tree with metal sensor strips protruding from the steel trunk. It weighs close to one ton and can clean as much air as one hectare in a forest, developers say—in other words, what 2,890 people breathe in a day.
Biomi representatives state that they realize the downsides of planting trees—growth time plus limited space. This is why the biotechnology company wants to install BioUrban units in places where normal trees are not an option, particularly in Mexico City.
With more than 20 million people, the capital of Mexico often suffers high air pollution alerts due to over five million cars on the road. Complicating matters is the nearby Popocatepetl Volcano.
“The system isn’t going to end air pollution in Mexico City, but it can alleviate the problem in high-traffic areas,” said Ferrer. Keeping this in mind, he wants to target clean air initiatives in target areas frequented by pedestrians, cyclists and the elderly. Some seven million people die each year from air pollution complications, according to the World Health Organization.
“We decided our job was to not just stand by and let people keep dying,” said Ferrer. “They can be used in high-traffic areas, transportation terminals, where you can’t just plant a hectare of trees.”
Since Biomi’s 2016 founding, the startup has installed a unit in Puebla where its headquarters are located. Additionally, there are two BioUrbans in Colombia and Panama. As of today, Biomi also has two contracts in Turkey plus works in progress in Mexico City and Monterrey. One single BioUrban costs around US$50,000 to install, although the final price depends on location.
In 2018 alone, tropical regions lost approximately 12 million hectares of vegetation. Ultimately, this equated to losing 30 soccer fields per minute, according to some reports.
While these are major environmental issues, Biomi doesn’t intend to replace trees or other solutions to air pollution. Rather, it wants to offer a more simplified method to improve air quality while also generating biomass for the energy industry. In other words, Biomi aspires to be the full package.
“BiomiTech has broken paradigms in terms of design, application and feasibility, which was achieved in three years, from the first laboratory tests to the financing and marketing of products,” said Ferrer.
Besides the capital, other locations in Mexico with the highest levels of air pollution include Pachuca, Atitalaquia, Atotonilco, Zacatepec, Tizayuca and Tulancingo in Hidalgo, Irapuato and Salamanca in Guanajuato, Minatitlan in Veracruz, Saltillo in Coahuila, and Guadalajara.
Similar ventures
This company isn’t the first venture dabbling with mechanic trees that replicate photosynthesis. German firm Green City Solutions has CityTree, a long vertical column with moss cultures to cleanse the surrounding air. What sets this company apart, though, are its special sensors that collect environmental and climate data.
Another similar initiative exists in Mexico City with Via Verde, one of the largest urban gardening projects in the world. The company installs vertical gardens along the city’s largest and most important highway, Anillo Periferico. Not only do the gardens purify the air and curb pollution, but they function autonomously. Specifically, each column has a sensor to track environmental factors such as light, water, nutrients, and temperature, and allow pipes to take care of irrigation needs as necessary. These devices are connected to a control room for quality assurance purposes.