Fujita Corporation started an investigation to explore the capability of soils to reduce contaminants in ambient air in 1992. As a result, it was found that contaminants such as nitrogen oxide (NOx), Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM), carbon monoxide (CO), benzene, toluene etc. can be purified by soils. In 1993, a system called "Earth Air Purifier (EAP)" was developed based on the investigation result. The EAP system have been applied to purify contaminated air of intersections with heavy traffic volume, ventilating tower of road tunnels, tunnel entrances and underground parking lots.

Up to now, the EAP system has been applied to 18 commercial projects (totally 32 EAP plants). Now, beside applications in Japan, Fujita Corporation and Ko-Kankyo Engineering Corporation (one of affiliates of Fujita Corporation) are trying to apply this system to overseas cities where air pollution caused by car exhaust gas is very serious.

Fujita transferred the EAP technology to the Korean environmental consultancy NOX Korea Co.Ltd. (Head office: Chungju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do, President: Mr.Young-Heoun Kang) in 2003.

Currently, in the suburb satellite towns around Seoul, many large-scale urban developments and highways are planned. On the other hand, the worsening of the air quality and related health impairment of the inhabitants are becoming serious issues. It is surprising, however, that car sales in South Korea increased to 1.63million (Yonhap October 7, 2010); actually neither hybrid vehicles nor electric vehicles have become widespread yet.

In May 2011, NOXKorea Co. Ltd installed the first EAP in Korea, in Beak Bong tunnel (1.5 km long) located in Pyeongnae-dong Namyangju-si. Pyeongnae-dong is a boomtown with a great many multistory apartment buildings along the Suseok-Hopyyoung highway route. EAPs were installed at both exits of this tunnel, to purify the polluted air.

Specification of the Pyeongnae EAP Plant

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Fujita Corporation
Public Relations Office
Tel. +81-3-3402-1911
Fax. +81-3-3404-8477
Email. info@fujita.co.jp