The City That Paints With Pollution—And Why It Might Be the Future

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In Pune, where air quality often slips into the “moderate” zone and PM10 levels hover around 50 µg/m³, a local lab is doing something unexpected with all that pollution—it’s making paint. Not just any paint, but one made from the very particles that clog the city’s skies.

How They’re Doing It

- Researchers collect particulate matter from air filters installed in traffic-heavy and industrial zones.
- These particles, mostly carbon-based, are cleaned and mixed with binders to create pigment.
- The result is a matte-finish paint that’s safe for both indoor and outdoor use.

Why It’s a Big Deal

- Instead of letting pollution settle in landfills or lungs, the lab is turning it into something useful.
- The paint reduces the need for synthetic pigments, which are often petroleum-based and environmentally harmful.
- It’s a small but smart way to close the loop on urban waste.

What’s Next

- Scaling up is tricky. Collecting enough pollution to make paint takes time and money.
- The team is working with city officials to install more collection units and expand the project.
- If it works in Pune, it could be replicated in other cities like Delhi and Mumbai, where air quality is even worse.

This isn’t just about paint—it’s about rethinking pollution as a resource. And in a city where the air isn’t always clean, that shift in mindset could make a real difference.

Sources: Economic Times, AQI.in, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, Free Press Journal, AirPollutionAPI.com