AAAR 34th Annual Conference
October 12 - October 16, 2015
Hyatt Regency
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Abstract View
Physical and Biological Characterization of Porous Media for Indoor Air Quality Control
LUPITA MONTOYA, Anne Wrobetz, Ahu Aydogan Akseli, University of Colorado Boulder
Abstract Number: 730 Working Group: Control Technology
Abstract Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are important indoor contaminants (Wolkoff, 2003) and formaldehyde is among the most common indoor VOCs, which has been shown to be toxic and carcinogenic (Nielsen 2010). It is found in commercial, residential, and occupational spaces and its removal is usually achieved by augmenting ventilation rates, an approach that is energy-intensive. Biological systems that rely on plants and microorganisms to remove VOCs have been proposed as alternative IAQ control systems (Aydogan, 2011; Aydogan 2012). An important component in such systems is the porous media supporting plant and microbial life. The objective of this research was an initial physical and biological characterization of Growstone, expanded clay, coco coir, and activated carbon. Results showed average sorption potentials of 0.24, 0.57, 42.4, and 174.1 mg/g media, respectively. Microbial communities extracted from several soils and porous media were also tested for their potential to survive on various levels of formaldehyde. Coco coir exhibited colony growth at 1 mM formaldehyde before exposure and a 156.7% increase in colony counts on 1 mM plates after exposure to gaseous formaldehyde. The use of low-cost porous media such as coco coir should be further investigated as an alternative for the removal and degradation of VOC and the potential removal of particles in indoor environments.
References:
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Nielsen, G.D. and Wolkoff P. “Cancer effects of formaldehyde: a proposal for an indoor air guideline value.” Archives of Toxicology 84, 6 (2010): 423-446.
Aydogan, Ahu. “Building-Integrated Active Modular Phytoremediation System.” Ph.D. Dissertation. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (2012): Troy, New York.
Aydogan, A. and Montoya L.D. “Formaldehyde removal by common indoor plant species and various growing media.” Atmospheric Environment 45, 16 (2011): 2675-2682.