An engineer's invention could mean that buses will no longer belch out black smoke. It could also be his ticket to becoming a millionaire.
Marco Cremona and University student Chris Borg, 21, have created a filter that can collect tiny black dust fragments from an engine's exhaust before they are released into the air.
"If this works there is a huge market for it, especially in developing countries like China where there are some 10 million vehicles that could use it," Dr Cremona said during the unveiling of what he called a "crude prototype".
The filter uses electrostatic charges to remove particulate matter, on the same lines as electrostatic precipitators installed at the power station. However, the invention is still in its first development phase and cannot yet be used commercially.
The filter uses electrically charged plates onto which the charged particles become attached. The soot particles can then be released automatically into a tray and disposed of properly.
The next step for Dr Cremona and his protégé is to make the filter more compact and efficient so that it can remove as much pollution as possible without affecting the performance of the diesel engine.
"In principle it works, and that is what is most important. Now we can optimise it to put it on the market," Dr Cremona said.
During a demonstration yesterday, Dr Cremona showed that when a piece of foam is placed inside an exhaust pipe it turns into a blotch of thick blackness. But when the filter is switched on and a new piece of foam is placed, it turns into a much lighter shade of brown.
The best thing about the filter is that it is retro-fitted so it can be installed on old vehicles and is not restricted to new ones.
"Many countries, including Malta, have invested lots of money in vehicles like buses and trucks so it would be a great expense to replace them with new ones. This is a much cheaper option because the filter can simply be attached to the vehicles," Dr Cremona explained.
The prolific inventor, who has also found a way to turn sewage into potable water, came up with the idea about a year ago but since he did not have the time to develop it he approached the University to get a student on the job.
Mr Borg took on the project as his thesis and spent the past eight months developing it practically single-handedly.
However, the intellectual property is still Dr Cremona's, who aims to patent it as soon as it reaches a satisfactory level of completion. After that, the sky is the limit, and he hopes to export it to as many countries as possible.
But the plan is to continue finalising things in Malta first. For Dr Cremona, a prominent environmentalist, the most important achievement would be the health benefits of having a country where diesel engines do not pollute.
"These black particles easily find their ways into our lungs and stay there, causing lung cancer and triggering asthma," Dr Cremona said.
He said that as a mountain-climber who will soon venture to climb the Everest, the highest mountain in the world, he understands the importance of having good quality air to breathe.
Dr Cremona has now applied for government funding to receive between €70,000 and €80,000 to take the emissions filter to the next level.
MEP Simon Busuttil attended yesterday's launch of the invention and praised the work of Dr Cremona and Mr Borg.
"It disgusts me when I'm driving behind a bus and I have to put up my window because of the black smoke. To me that is visibly scandalous. I hope this invention helps," he said.
Reacting to a recent news story that only one bus of the 25 tested for emissions in July failed the test, he said there needed to be more enforcement to make sure that vehicles are not tampered with before the tests.