From a childhood inspiration to a high-impact industrial solution. Colombian Mariana Pérez has managed to develop air purifiers adapted to factories, with the potential to improve the quality of contaminated air anywhere in the world.
At 27 years old, and at the helm of her company Ecol-Air, her initiative was distinguished as one of the ten finalists in the Young Inventors Awards granted by the European Patent Office (EPO).
Pérez was recognized with the title of “Creator of Tomorrow,” shared by the selected inventors in this edition.
## From a childhood idea to an industry solution
The story began in Itagüí, Antioquia, when Mariana was a girl and set out to “clean the air by wetting it.” That intuition became the foundation of her academic and professional career.
The first prototype was a perforated paint can, designed to simulate the effect of water on dirty air. Today, Ecol-Air’s technology is a customizable industrial installation that treats emissions according to the type and volume of gases. It is able to capture carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide.
“The air I breathe today can circulate around the world and be breathed in China in ten days. That’s why this system has no borders,” Pérez pointed out in an interview with EFE Verde, emphasizing the global nature of the problem and its solution.
## Ecol-Air: decontaminating the air and recycling its waste
Ecol-Air systems not only purify emissions but also recover contaminants trapped in filters to transform them into reusable materials:
– Fertilizers
– Textiles
– Biodegradable plastics
The latter are used to build bricks, tiles, facades, and even furniture, such as chairs and tables, using recycled polymeric material. In some cases, the waste is utilized by the user companies themselves; in others, Ecol-Air redirects them to recycling companies.
Currently, the technology operates in two factories and an air treatment plant in Antioquia, and Pérez is already working on expanding the business to the United States.
## A transformative vision for the air we breathe
“We must understand that air is a necessary intangible. We are just beginning to take care of it,” Pérez expressed, noting that in Colombia, more than 99% of the population breathes contaminated air, according to WHO data.
Her proposal stands as an innovative alternative in the fight against industrial air pollution, from a perspective that combines technology, circular economy, and public health.
