How Malarkey Roofing Shingles reduce smog and air pollution

By Malarkey Roofing Products.

In collaboration with 3M, Malarkey Roofing Products® is excited to announce the inclusion of 3M™ Smog-reducing granules to our roofing shingle lines.

What began with a vision and curiosity from our executive offices and research department has expanded into an opportunity for tangible positive change. These roofing products, designed to mitigate the nitrogen oxides found in smog, are more important than ever before.

"Sustainability is at the core of our product design," said Jim Fagan, Chief Executive Officer and President of Malarkey Roofing Products®." We strive to include innovative technologies that improve our environment in all aspects of our operations. Granules that help transform smog gases from the air are certainly in line with that mission," he added.

How Do They Work?

Recently launched by the 3M Industrial Mineral Products Division, 3M™ Smog-reducing Granules help to remove smog pollution (nitrogen oxides or NOx) using roofing shingles. Integrated throughout a shingle’s surface, 3M’s roofing granules are designed with a specialized photocatalytic coating applied to the base mineral. The specialized coating on the granule is activated by the sun’s UV rays, while blending inconspicuously into various shingle color combinations. As shown in the video, when sunlight hits the shingles containing the smog-reducing granules, radicals are generated and transform nitrogen oxide gases into water-soluble ions improving air quality. This smart solution for pollution mitigation can help communities contribute toward their NOx emission reduction efforts.

On an average-sized roof, the smog-reducing strength of the shingles is equivalent to more than two trees!

Combatting Climate Change

A recent United Nations report released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), found "that if greenhouse gas emissions continue at the current rate, the atmosphere will warm up by as much as 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5 degrees Celsius) above preindustrial levels by 2040, inundating coastlines and intensifying droughts and poverty." The UN IPCC report was written and edited by 91 scientists from 40 countries who analyzed more than 6,000 scientific studies. In coverage by the New York Times, the report cited "the United States [as] the world’s largest economy and second-largest greenhouse gas emitter behind China."

Improving Los Angeles Air Quality

The fist batches of our Highlander® NEX™ roofing shingles featuring 3M™ Smog-reducing Granules are rolling off the line in a key location, our South Gate, California facility. Specifically, reduction of smog and greenhouse gases is especially important in metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles. By September 21, 2018, the Los Angeles Times shared state air quality monitoring data showing that the Southern California experienced "87 days of smog, the longest streak of bad air in decades."

"In 2017, the region logged 145 bad air days for ozone pollution, up from 132 ozone violation days in 2016 and 113 the year before," reported Tony Barboza of the LA Times. "Regulators blame the dip in air quality in recent years on hotter weather and stronger, more persistent inversion layers that trap smog near the ground. They’re also planning a study into whether climate change is contributing to the smog problem, as many scientists expect, due to higher temperatures that speed the photochemical reactions that form ozone."

One Small Bite at the Problem

As our President and CEO, Jim Fagan, likes to say, "to eat a whole elephant, you have to go at it one bite at a time." If climate change is the elephant in the room, then we might as well go after it one roof at a time. In time however, we believe that the adoption of this technology can only help to improve the quality of our air and planet for years to come.

Catch up more with Smog-reducing Granules and other Malarkey Roofing news.

Source: Malarkey Roofing Products