
A group of Swedish entrepreneurs have created a new air pollution mask which they say is both functional and fashionable.

Stockholm-based Airinum say their mask offers a new solution to air pollution.

The mask, which includes an adjustable head strap and two removable filters, retails for $75 for adults, $65 for kids. Each filter is good for around 100 hours of use, Airinum estimates, and can trap particles as small as 0.03 micrometers in diameter using a three-layer filter. The masks comply with the N99 standard (filtering 99% of airborne particles)set by the United States' National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

The idea for the mask came from Airinum's co-founder Alexander Hjertström whose childhood asthma returned when he went to study for an MBA in Ahmadabad.
In this picture taken in Delhi, air pollution provides the backdrop for a game of street cricket. The World Health Organization rates the Indian capital's air pollution at more than 12 times the safe limits.
In this picture taken in Delhi, air pollution provides the backdrop for a game of street cricket. The World Health Organization rates the Indian capital's air pollution at more than 12 times the safe limits.

Hjertström was struck by the amount of air pollution and how protection like scarves and surgical masks were largely ineffective.

Shanghai residents wear masks to protect themselves from air pollution earlier this month. Asia and particularly parts of China suffer from bouts of extreme air pollution.

The World Health Organization estimates that annual pollution levels in the capital, Beijing (pictured) are more than eight times the safe level.

Airinum hope to encourage more people to wear masks by making them function better without compromising on looks.