Indoor Air Pollutant (Toluene) Reduction Based on Ultraviolet-A Irradiance and Changes in the Reactor Volume in a TiO(2) Photocatalyst Reactor

This study experimentally confirmed the effect of TiO(2) photocatalysts on the removal of indoor air pollutants. In the experiment, toluene, a representative indoor air pollutant, was removed using a coating agent containing TiO(2) photocatalysts. Conditions proposed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) were applied mutatis mutandis, and a photoreactor for an experiment was manufactured. The experiment was divided into two categories. The first experiment was conducted under ISO conditions using the TiO(2) photocatalyst coating agent. In the second experiment, the amount of ultraviolet-A (UV-A) light was varied depending on the lamp’s service life, and the volume of the reactor was varied depending on the number of contaminants. The results showed that the TiO(2) photocatalytic coating agent reduced the effect of toluene. This reduction effect can be increased as a primary function depending on the changes in the amount of UV-A light and reactor volume. However, because toluene is decomposed in this study, additional organic pollutants such as benzene and butadiene can be produced. Because these pollutants are decomposed by the TiO(2) photocatalysts, the overall reduction performance may change. Nonetheless, TiO(2) photocatalysts can be used to examine the effect of indoor pollutant reduction in indoor ventilation systems and building materials.