Seoul Mapo-gu Office said Monday it had installed a bench that absorbs pollution from the air, with the equivalent purifying power of 5,400 trees.

The bench, installed at Mapo-gu Office Square, was modeled after CityTree, an intelligent air-filtering bench created by German startup Green City Solutions.

A moss-covered wall, or Green Wall, automatically absorbs and purifies air when built-in sensors detect a high level of fine dust. Mapo-gu Office explained that that the bench absorbs 530 grams of fine dust every day, producing the same air-purifying results of 5,400 real trees.

The intelligent bench is able to generate electricity on its own via its solar panels and collects rainwater. It also provides many conveniences, including free Wi-Fi and wireless smartphone chargers.

The district office said after a six-month trial of the fine dust reduction bench, it will collect data to verify the air-purifying results and effectiveness to further look into preparing for its widespread use.

By Kim Jee-min (jeeminkim@heraldcorp.com)