Lava flowing from a Hawaii volcano is inspiring innovative ideas from schoolchildren on how to deal with the effects of the molten rock.
Students from Pahoa's Hawaii Academy of Arts and Science charter school on the Big Island came up with an idea for an air scrubber for volcanic smog, or vog. The scrubber pulls vog out of the air with a fan and neutralizes acidity with a compound similar to baking soda.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports starting Monday, Pahoa's ACE Hardware is selling parts for the scrubber for $100. A scrubber assembled by the students goes for $150.
The students are in a community threatened by the slow-moving lava. The flow entered Pahoa last month and has since burned a house. County civil defense officials say the lava has been sluggish recently.
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