Efficacy of a titanium dioxide nanoparticles - based indoor anti-odor product as assessed by electronic nose and gaschromatography-mass spectrometry.
Indoor air pollutants and odorants may have psychological and physical impact on exposed individuals and the unpleasant room air is considered as one of the factors associated with sick building syndrome comprising general symptoms such as headache and lethargy. Approaches for improving the quality of indoor air are thus important as support for human health and well-being. Photo-oxidation catalyzed by titanium dioxide (TiO2), is one of the methods used for elimination of volatile organic compounds, which are the cause of odor nuisance in indoor and outdoor air. In the present investigation, the efficacy of an experimental anti-odor air freshener based on TiO2nanoparticles was estimated by testing its ability in removing from a small air chamber (200mL) the odor of triethylamine solutions (50μL at concentrations between 0.700 to 700mM), used as a model volatile molecule for simulating fish-like unpleasant indoor environment. The evaluation was performed by electronic nose which provided a holistic and objective data on the efficacy of the product, demonstrating that the effects of triethylamine even at the highest tested concentrations can be completely removed by application of 3.0g of the product at 25% TiO2nanoparticles concentration. The obtained results were confirmed by gaschromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis addressed to the quantitative determination of residual triethylamine in the environment after treatment by the anti-odor product.
Department of Chemistry "Giacomo Ciamician", University of Bologna, via Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy; Interdepartmental Center for Industrial Research-Advanced Applications in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Technology (CIRI-MAM), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. Electronic address: mara.mirasoli@unibo.it.
Mara
M
Mirasoli
Interdepartmental Center for Industrial Research-Advanced Applications in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Technology (CIRI-MAM), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Roberto
R
Gotti
Interdepartmental Center for Industrial Research-Advanced Applications in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Technology (CIRI-MAM), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Massimo
M
Di Fusco
Interdepartmental Center for Industrial Research-Advanced Applications in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Technology (CIRI-MAM), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Giulia
G
Basaglia
Interdepartmental Center for Industrial Research-Advanced Applications in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Technology (CIRI-MAM), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Jessica
J
Fiori
Department of Chemistry "Giacomo Ciamician", University of Bologna, via Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
Aldo
A
Roda
D000393:Air Pollutants; D062609:Electronic Nose; D006801:Humans; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles; D009812:Odorants; D018877:Sick Building Syndrome; D014025:Titanium
D000393:Air Pollutants; C009495:titanium dioxide; D014025:Titanium
Anti-odor; Electronic nose; Gaschromatography–mass spectrometry; Titanium dioxide; Triethylamine