Comprehensive Analysis of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and Particulate Matter (PM) in Indoor air: Effects of Nano-layering VOCs using Catalytic Metal Oxides
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58445/rars.255Keywords:
Volatile Organic compounds, Particulate Matter, Air pollution, Indoor Air pollution, Metal oxides, nano coatings, photocatalysisAbstract
Indoor Air Pollution causes 1.6 million premature deaths annually and puts 3.8 billion people at risk globally (1). Volatile Organic compounds (VOCs) are chemicals that vaporize and make indoor air unhealthy. These can vary from minor irritants to potentially carcinogenic compounds. This research is a multi-phase project concerning the effects of VOCs on Particulate Matter (PM). In the first phase of this research, it was established that VOCs significantly increased the PM concentration in the air. The current research focuses on reducing the impact of VOCs using metal oxides, mainly Titanium Dioxide, Magnesium Oxide, and Zinc Oxide. The VOC tested in this research was sodium hypochlorite, a common household cleaner and a very potent VOC. The metal oxides were tested both in non-nano and nano forms. The metal oxides powders were deposited on the VOCs using dip coating methods, involving an ethanol substrate. PM monitor data suggested that titanium dioxide was most efficient followed by Zinc oxide in reducing PM concentrations. The non-nano metal oxides, mainly titanium dioxide, showed a remarkable decrease in PM particles, by around 200 µg/m3 less. The presence of light impacted certain data trials, but especially titanium dioxide as it is photocatalytic. This research can be expanded to create safer household chemicals coated finely with metal oxides using the Lang-Muir-Blodgett method. The utilization of these coatings can result in the development of healthy building materials like paints, surfaces, and countertops that will limit the detrimental effects of VOCs. This project is an attempt to offer insight into this less recognized yet highly crucial aspect of Volatile Organic Compounds and their interaction with the indoor environment. The overall goal of this multiphase research is to contribute towards understanding and developing solutions to improve the quality of indoor air.
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