PHOTODEGRADATION STUDY OF SOME INDOOR AIR POLLUTANTS IN THE PRESENCE OF UV-VIS IRRADIATION AND TIO2 PHOTOCATALYST

In the present study, two selected volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were exposed to UV-VIS irradiation - produced by common fluorescent tubes - under controlled humidity and different temperature conditions and their photocatalytic oxidation was quantitatively studied in the presence of TiO2. Using the inexpensive UV-VIS light source a significant photochemical degradation of toluene and chlorobenzene was obtained. The removal of studied compounds was investigated, in the presence of two different TiO2 catalysts (Degussa P25 TiO2 and aerogel TiO2), whose activity was not affected by the high humidity conditions. In all experiments the degradation rate for toluene was higher than for chlorobenzene. At 70 % relative humidity and room temperature conditions, Degussa P25 TiO2 shows a major photodegradation effect, comparatively to aerogel TiO2. Increasing the temperature up to 50 degrees C and maintaining the relative humidity at the same level, the photocatalytic degradation in the presence of the aerogel TiO2 increase significantly, therefore the photocatalytic activities for both TiO2 catalysts are comparable, as well in the case of toluene as for chlorobenzene.