Photocatalytic Disinfection of Indoor Air

The present study demonstrated the antibacterial effect of photocatalytic oxidation in indoor air using titanium dioxide as the catalyst. Through a series of experiments, it was determined that titanium dioxide did enhance the inactivation rate of the microorganisms under certain conditions. In these experiments the air velocity, relative humidity, and UV (350 nm) intensity were varied. It was found that higher velocities retarded the destruction rate due to the low retention time in the reactor. TiO₂ also did not accelerate the reaction at low humidities (30 percent). At a relative humidity of 50 percent, there was complete inactivation of the organisms, but at higher humidities (85 percent), 10 percent of the organisms were still viable. The experiments showed that at higher UV intensities, most of the inactivation was done by the UV photons. However, the photons were not able to completely inactivate the microorganisms. In the photocatalysis experiments there was complete inactivation of the bacteria.