Nanotechnology within ‘The Field of Jeans’ could rid London’s air of pollutants.

Could a pair of high-tech jeans be the answer on how to clean up London’s air? Although London is reported to be one of Europe’s cleaner cities, it inevitably boasts pollution. In order to make London cleaner, the Greater London Authority is committed to implementing different strategies to make the capital ‘cleaner, calmer, more enjoyable so that we can all lead better lives here’.

The latest method to clean up London’s air is notably ‘unconventional’ and remarkable and comes in the disguise of a pair of jeans.

The jeans are fitted with nanotechnology and act as a catalyst to tackle pollution. The nanotech denim has been developed by researchers at both the London College of Fashion and at Sheffield University and were put on display at the London Design Festival, which was held in September of this year. The range of jeans is called ‘The Field of Jeans’ and its developers are known as Catalytic Clothes.

Talking about the potential impact wearing such nanotechnology clothes could have on the environment, Catalytic Clothing said:

“A significant reduction in the level of air borne pollutants in a large city such as London could be achieved if, for every metre of pavement width, 30 people wearing Catalytic Clothes walked past each minute.”

The clothes fitted with the nanotechnology work by acting as a photo catalyst to break down pollutants in the air by using light as a source of energy.

“When the light shines on the photo catalyst, the electrons in the material are rearranged and they become more reactive that then cause pollutants to break down into non-harmful chemicals,” added Catalytic Clothes.

With jeans being the most single worn product, not just on London’s streets but, as Catalytic Clothes puts it, “there are more pair of jeans in existence than there are people on earth”, jeans certainly ‘fit the bill’ for the demonstrating of what has the potential to clean up London’s air.