A new smog-eating automotive technology has been developed by Englehard Corporation of the US. The new automobile coating, designed to destroy ozone and carbon monoxide is now being evaluated by the California Air Resources Board (CARB).

If the CARB finds the coating effective, "it could be one of the black box technologies to be included in California's air quality implementation plans," says Jerry Martin, a staff member of CARB. If the technology manages to destroy 80 per cent of the ozone, as claimed by its manufacturers, it may significantly affect the ambient air quality (Environmental Science and Technology, Vol 29, No 12).