Photocatalytic Degradation of Pollutants in Air Streams Using Luminous Textiles Under Ultraviolet Light Illumination: A Pilot-Scale Remediation Study

Abstract

Air pollution from volatile organic compounds poses significant environmental and public health issues due to their toxicity and persistence in the environment. In this context, this experimental study explored photocatalytic degradation as a promising approach for the degradation of two polluting fatty acids, butyraldehyde (BUTY) and isovaleraldehyde, utilizing a TiO2 photocatalyst-supported nonluminous textile within a continuous planar reactor. The impact of varying airflow rates (2 to 6 m3/h), initial pollutant concentrations (10 to 60 mg/m3), and air relative humidity (5 to 90%) on oxidation performance and removal efficiency were systematically investigated. The following optimal conditions were identified: an inlet concentration of 10 mg/m3, an airflow rate of 2 m3/h, a catalyst mass of 25 g/m2, a UV intensity of 2 W/m2, and 50% RH. The luminous textile photocatalytic degradation exhibited notable effectiveness for BUTY removal. To enhance our understanding, a mass transfer model using the Langmuir–Hinshelwood approach as a kinetic model was developed. This modeling approach allowed us to determine kinetic adsorption and degradation constants, reasonably agreeing with the experimental data. This study provides valuable insights into applying nonluminous textile-supported TiO2 photocatalysts for environmental pollutant removal in continuous planar reactors.