Liquid Tree, a revolutionary way to combat urban air pollution

Activists claimed that pollution in Serbia and in other parts of the Balkan peninsula is so bad that it can be seen, smelled and even tasted, especially during autumn and winter.

In September 2021, Serbian scientist Dr. Ivan Spasojevic developed an innovative biotechnological tool named 'Liquid Tree' to combat urban air pollution. The concept involves a tank filled with water & microalgae that can absorb CO? & release O?.

Liquid Tree is technically termed as photo-bioreactor. It is a solution for tackling greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality. It contains six hundred litres of water and uses microalgae to bind carbon dioxide and produce pure oxygen through photosynthesis. The Liquid Tree bioreactor is capable of replacing two 10-year-old adult trees or a full 200 square metres of lawn. The system is the same because both trees and grass perform photosynthesis and bind carbon dioxide. However, the advantage of microalgae is that they are 10 to 50 times more efficient than trees.

The goal as per Dr. Ivan Spasojevic was not to replace forests but to use this system to fill those urban pockets where there is no space for planting trees.

The first Liquid Tree was placed in front of the Municipality of Stari Grad in Makedonska Street in Belgrade, Serbia. Interestingly, the Liquid Tree was designed to be multifunctional. It doubles as a bench, has chargers for mobile phones, as well as solar panels.

Liquid Trees were designed at the Institute for Multidisciplinary Research of the University of Belgrade.

The innovative liquid tree has garnered widespread recognition and has been acclaimed for its impressive performance as well as sustainable design.? It was awarded a position as ‘one of the best climate-smart and innovative solutions’ by the Climate Smart Urban Development project. This project was created by?UNDP, the Ministry of Environmental Protection, and sponsored by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).