Professor discovers ins and outs of DIY ventilation
Chen's system has inspired others to revamp their homes, including not only his friends but also a European who read media reports about it. The man contacted Chen for
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"I told him how to install the system, and he hired workers to do it," Chen says.
Chen is among a growing number of grassroots designers in China who are creating innovative and DIY solutions to smog. But he stands out in that many tinkers are focusing on filtration - i.e., high-efficiency absorption filters taped to the fronts of fans - rather than ventilation.
Some environmental experts have expressed doubts Chen's system could filter out PM2.5 - particles with diameters smaller than 2.5 microns that the respiratory system can't block.
The World Health Organization recently named air pollution, and especially PM2.5, as a leading environmental cause of cancer deaths.
Chen says more tests need to be done to answer the small particle question.
But he points out his system is cost-effective.
"Only purifiers used by the semiconductor industry can completely filter PM2.5," he explains.
"But they're very expensive. Installing those in homes would be like using a cannon to blast a mosquito. We need more research on which filters effectively fight PM2.5 so we can clear these particles from our homes."
