The Colombian innovator turning air pollution into raw materials
Against this backdrop, Colombian entrepreneur Mariana Pérez has developed a solution that tackles both environmental and health crises – earning her a place among the top ten innovators in the Young Inventors Prize 2025, awarded by the European Patent Office (EPO).
At just 27, Pérez is the founder of Ecol-Air, a startup behind a technology that captures not only carbon dioxide but also nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide – gases linked to respiratory illness. Unlike traditional carbon-capture devices, her system mimics the human respiratory system, using artificial 'bronchioles' and 'alveoli' to absorb pollutants from the air.
'My invention is just like a giant vacuum that captures a volume of air and puts it through this system and breaks down all the contaminants into a tank,' she explains. Installed on chimneys or as free-standing air purification stations, the machine treats polluted air and processes the toxins into biodegradable polymers – materials that can be repurposed into sustainable packaging or industrial components like tiles and bags.
'We can transform the pollutants and contaminants into raw materials that can be used,' says Pérez, 'I decided to create this machine because people ignore that air is as important as water.'
Pérez's interest in air quality began when she was just eight years old. 'I remember watching rain wash residue off my dad's car and wondering where all that black dust went,' she recalls. That childhood curiosity grew into a passion for science, leading her to participate in school science fairs and eventually develop early prototypes of the machine that would inspire Ecol-Air.
'There were moments in my journey when I doubted myself,' she admits. 'But I believe all scientists need to realise that, while we can create incredible solutions for the planet, health and people, scaling our projects and turning them into businesses is what gives our inventions a real future. We can't stop at just having an idea; we need to develop it further.'
After facing initial scepticism from manufacturers, Pérez offered to install her units for free in large factories to demonstrate their effectiveness. Sumicol was the first to adopt the system commercially, followed by Incolmotos Yamaha. In 2021, the first air treatment plant using her technology opened in Girardota, processing 70 tonnes of air daily with an 82% efficiency rate, according to company data.
Now living in New York, Pérez is preparing for global expansion. 'Right now I'm focused on a global expansion because all the world needs to purify air,' she says. 'We are focused on trying to put our machine in large industries. Our invention is in the Commercial Readiness Level9 stage, meaning that it is fully functional, fully operative and, of course, tested, and ready to be adopted by the market.'
With her innovation, Pérez is directly addressing multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 13 (Climate Action). As one of the EPO's 2025 Tomorrow Shapers, she's helping reshape how we think about pollution: not just as a problem to contain, but as a resource to transform.
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Euronews
17-07-2025
- Euronews
Scientists slam ‘scientific injustice' in Global South climate studies
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Historical data showed that neither event was particularly rare. In today's climate with 1.3°C of warming, the three months of rainfall in Colombia can be expected every ten years on average, while in Venezuela, similar five-day spells of heavy rain can be expected every three years. The study also found a drying trend with seasonal rainfall in Colombia, now 12 per cent less likely and less intense, while the chance of heavy rainfall over Venezuela was 9 per cent lower. Climate models also showed a drying trend in Colombia, but that was less clear in Venezuela. There were high uncertainties in the global data sets and models that the researchers looked at. Both Colombia and Venezuela have complex tropical climates, and they say the possibility of heavier rain shouldn't be ruled out. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projects a range of changes in rainfall in the region - but that prediction also has low confidence. Why are weather attribution studies in the Global South often inconclusive? World Weather Attribution says high uncertainty is typical in rainfall studies of Global South countries. Dr Zachariah points to another recent study on deadly floods in the Democratic Republic of Congo earlier this year, which also returned inconclusive results. The DRC is a developing country with a tropical climate. Historically, climate science has focused on wealthier countries, making data sets and models less accurate for places like these. Latin America is one of the most understudied regions in the world – this analysis is the first attribution study on a weather event in Venezuela and just the third for Colombia. 'Yet again, we've studied an extreme rainfall event in a Global South country and come up with unclear results,' explains Dr Joyce Kimutai, research associate at the Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London. 'This is a scientific injustice.' Dr Kimutai emphasises that rich countries, which have contributed the most to global warming, are able to invest in research to understand how they will be affected by changing weather extremes. Poor countries, which have contributed the least but are the most vulnerable, have limited funds for climate research. 'This reduces their ability to understand what the future might bring and how they should prepare.' She adds that Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa need more extreme weather attribution studies. But the global data sets and climate models they use for these studies often perform poorly in these regions. 'Investing in weather stations and climate science will help. That money really should come from rich countries.' 'More science will save lives' While landslides and flash floods are common in both countries, the expansion of informal communities on hillsides is increasing the risk of disaster, the study highlights. And, while the landslide in Colombia was not extreme by historical standards, it still led to a significant loss of life. Researchers say many people living in these areas have been displaced by past disasters or conflicts and are moving closer to cities to search for better job opportunities. The experts add that adaptation efforts such as early warning systems and forest conservation can be cost-effective ways to reduce risks. 'Extreme weather is non-stop in Colombia and Venezuela. One year we face devastating flash floods; the next, severe droughts and wildfires,' says Professor Paola A. Arias, Professor at the Universidad of Antioquia in Colombia. 'It doesn't take much for a weather event to become a disaster because many people are already vulnerable. The late June downpours weren't especially unusual, however, they still triggered a landslide that killed 27 people.' Professor Arias adds that, while it's unclear if climate change increased rainfall in this case, it's almost certainly increasing the risk of drought, heatwaves and wildfires in both countries. 'We urgently need more investment in climate science to understand shifting risks and prepare for what's ahead. More science will save lives.'
