University of Pittsburgh Building’s Roofing Material Able to ‘Eat’ Pollution

The University of Pittsburgh has begun to experiment with a new roofing material that can allegedly “eat” pollution from the air.

According to a July 10 CBS Pittsburgh article, the roofing product, called eco-activ and manufactured by Siplast, will be coating the roof of Posvar Hall in time for the fall semester in a new effort toward sustainability at the university.

“It’s supposed to pull nitrogen oxide out of the air which comes from car emissions, coal plants and other fossil-burning fuels,” Dan Marcinko, Assistant Vice Chancellor and sustainability coordinator at the University of Pittsburgh, said.

Kirk Goodrum, head of research and development at Siplast, told CBS Pittsburgh that eco-activ rids the air of nitrogen pollutants by changing its physical state.

“[eco-activ] changes it from a gas to a solid, because in a gas form it can cause ground level ozone and can lead to respiratory issues,” Goodrum said.

And, according to Marcinko, the eco-activ roof on Posvar Hall will be able to remove as much as 200 vehicles’ worth of emissions from the air.

“We’re extremely interested in Siplast’s pioneering experiment with the new eco-active roofing product and its installation at Posvar Hall in Pittsburgh and waiting patiently for the pollution eating results,” says Tony, Roofing Manager at Husker Siding, Windows & Roofing. “Not only is Siplast’s effort positive in moving forward with eco-innovation, this new technology could open up a new era in the residential roofing market by ultimately providing the consumer in the near future with a choice of helping the one and only planet earth.”

Goodrum also remarked that eco-activ has thus far been used primarily on commercial buildings’ roofs — but there’s no reason why a private home can’t have a roof treated with eco-activ, either.

“We primarily deal in commercial roofing, but nothing would restrict it from being used on a residential home,” Goodrum said.