Over 80 percent of the urban population lives in areas where the air quality exceeds the World Health Organization’s safety limits for pollutant particles. Most of these people have no idea that the declining air quality may lead to serious illnesses, like heart disease, lung cancer or stroke. However, an expensive T-shirt now brings a statement against pollution.
The new line of fashionable shirts is called “Aerochromics”, and it could raise awareness about the issue of pollution and perhaps change our long-term behavior.
Nikolas Bentel, a 23-year-old designer, wanted to create a product with everyday use that can prevent pollution. He launched his collection on Thursday, dubbing it “a hidden threat.”
Each of the cotton shirts react to pollution. It takes five seconds for them to change color from white to black, according to pollution levels. They’re priced at 500 dollars apiece. Bentel believes his shirts empower people to take part in a dialogue on pollution and to ultimately change how we move and think about our cities.
The collection features three shirts. The first one is the “radioactivity shirt”. It’s got a special dye that changes color if it is exposed to gamma or electron beam radiation. Bentel was surprised that no one had used these dyes before, for consumer clothing. The shirt stays black once it is exposed to a big dose of radiation.
The second shirt of the collection is the “carbon monoxide shirt”. It has carbon monoxide detectors, which use chemical salts to determine what the air quality is. If it turns black, you know carbon monoxide is present. This one turns back white again, once the air has cleared.
The final piece of clothing of the series is a “particle pollution shirt”. It has smart sensors on the collar, which activate the dye patches on the shirt if pollution by particles is high.
Currently, air pollution monitors across the world are difficult to keep track of, as pollution levels beyond them are hard to measure.
Bentel believes his shirts are in line with the World Health Organization’s recommendations on air pollution. Bentel sees his collection as a statement against pollution, that the world desperately needs.
He wants his products to start a conversation on how to fight pollution in city areas. To put it in a nutshell, it’s all about futuristic green fashion which empowers people to live longer, healthier lives.
Image Source – Wikipedia