A GIS-based approach to determining optimal location for decentralized inner city smart filters: Toward net zero cities.

Climate change has already begun to take visible effect globally in recent years. Given the climate change paradox and urbanization trends, cities' success would not only depend on smartness and sustainability, but also resilience to all forthcoming economic, environmental, or behavioral changes. Numerous technologies have surfaced and proved effective in CO2 removal from the local environment. However, the optimal placement of these smart filters is a complex task and require logical and strategic decision-making. Determining the optimal location is one of the key factors for establishing a network of smart air filters. This study used a GIS-based suitability analysis for identifying optimal locations for smart filters based on pollution hotspots (population and spatial proximity to industry, commercial centers, roads, high-traffic areas, and intersections). The spatial analysis involves the determination and preparation of input layers, ranking layers, assigning weights to each criterion, and generation of a suitability map. The sites with a higher suitability score (7 or above) are optimum sites for air filters. The sites are spatially distributed over different regions. The findings revealed that GIS-based suitability analysis can be an effective technique for placing smart filters within an urban environment. These findings can help decision-makers to prioritize the location considering environmental constraints. The proposed solution aims to pave the way for fostering resilient, smart, and sustainable cities through a community sensing platform targeting hotspots within spatial variations.

Nanotechnology Transition Roadmap toward Multifunctional Stimuli-Responsive Face Masks.

In recent times, the use of personal protective equipment, such as face masks or respirators, is becoming more and more critically important because of common pollution; furthermore, face masks have become a necessary element in the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. For this reason, the main mission of scientists has become the development of face masks with exceptional properties that will enhance their performance. The versatility of electrospun polymer nanofibers has determined their suitability as a material for constructing "smart" filter media. This paper provides an overview of the research carried out on nanofibrous filters obtained by electrospinning. The progressive development of the next generation of face masks whose unique properties can be activated in response to a specific external stimulus is highlighted. Thanks to additional components incorporated into the fiber structure, filters can, for example, acquire antibacterial or antiviral properties, self-sterilize the structure, and store the energy generated by users. Despite the discovery of several fascinating possibilities, some of them remain unexplored. Stimuli-responsive filters have the potential to become products of large-scale availability and great importance to society as a whole.