title: Photocatalytic air purifiers for indoor air: European standard and pilot room experiments.
abstract: At the European level (CEN/TC386), some efforts are currently devoted to new standards for comparing the efficiency of commercial photocatalytic material/devices in various application fields. Concerning prototype or commercial indoor photocatalytic air purifiers designed for volatile organic compounds (VOC) abatement, the methodology is based on a laboratory airtight chamber. The photocatalytic function is demonstrated by the mineralization of a mixture of five VOCs. Experimental data were obtained for four selected commercial devices and three commercial materials: drop of VOC concentration, but also identification of secondary species (with special attention to formaldehyde), mineralization rates, and Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR). With two efficient air purifiers, these laboratory experiments were compared to the results in two experimental rooms (35-40 m3) where air pollution was introduced through wooden floor and furniture. The systems' ageing was also studied. The safety of the commercial products was also assessed by the determination of nanoparticle release. Standardized tests are useful to rank photocatalytic air purifiers and passive materials and to discard inefficient ones. A good correlation between the standard experiments and the experimental room experiments was found, even if in the latter case, the concentration of lower weight VOCs drops less quickly than that of heavier VOCs.
authors.affiliation: UT2A, Hélioparc, 2 Avenue du Président Angot, BP 1153, 64013, Pau cedex, France.|IPREM, UMR CNRS 5254, Université de Pau et Pays de l'Adour Hélioparc, 2 Av. Pdt Angot, BP 1153, 64013, Pau cedex, France.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Costarramone
authors.affiliation: NOBATEK, 67 rue de Mirambeau, 64600, Anglet, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cantau
authors.affiliation: C2MA Ecole des Mines d'Alès, Hélioparc, 2 Av. Pdt Angot, BP 1153, 64013, Pau cedex, France.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Desauziers
authors.affiliation: IPREM, UMR CNRS 5254, Université de Pau et Pays de l'Adour Hélioparc, 2 Av. Pdt Angot, BP 1153, 64013, Pau cedex, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pécheyran
authors.affiliation: IPREM, UMR CNRS 5254, Université de Pau et Pays de l'Adour Hélioparc, 2 Av. Pdt Angot, BP 1153, 64013, Pau cedex, France.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pigot
authors.affiliation: IPREM, UMR CNRS 5254, Université de Pau et Pays de l'Adour Hélioparc, 2 Av. Pdt Angot, BP 1153, 64013, Pau cedex, France. sylvie.lacombe@univ-pau.fr.
authors.forename: S
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3623-1981
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lacombe
mesh_terms: D061808:Air Filters; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor; D002384:Catalysis; D010865:Pilot Projects; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds
chemical_list: D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds
keywords: Airtight chamber; Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR); Formaldehyde; Mineralization; Photocatalysis; Terpenes; VOC