Non-thermal plasma coupled with photocatalysis for indoor air treatment at high air flow rates: effects on VOCs and bio-aerosols

Abstract

Advanced technology combining non-thermal plasma (NTP) with photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) for indoor air purification at high flow rates is tested on formaldehyde and bio-aerosol with E. coli bacteria. Two reactors were examined, both using TiO₂ photocatalyst: reactor 1 with dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) tubes and UV-C, and reactor 2 with a DBD module and UV-A LEDs. The NTP-PCO significantly reduced formaldehyde using a single pass method with high 250 L/min air flow rate. The bioaerosol decontamination achieved 3 log reduction up to total bacteria inactivation. This proof-of-concept demonstrates a promising approach of the combined NTP-PCO for scalable indoor air purification.