Evaluation of Control Strategies for Volatile Organic Compounds in Indoor Air (Journal Article)

摘要

The paper discusses research which evaluates the application of adsorption techniques to the control of indoor organic vapors. The adsorption on activated carbon of three compounds representing three classes of organic species was studied at 30 C in the concentration range zero to 200 ppb using a microbalance. The three were benzene (aromatic), acetaldehyde (oxygenated aliphatic), and 1,1,1-trichloroethane (halogenated aliphatic). Three sorbents (a wood base carbon, a coal base carbon, and a coconut shell base carbon) were examined. Uptakes for all the compounds on all the carbons were low (on the order of 10 to the minus 7th power gmol/g carbon). Simulation of a packed bed of carbon indicated that carbon adsorption may not be practical for continuous removal, but may be applicable to sudden releases (e.g., spills). Potential alternatives to activated carbon adsorption are discussed. Potentially toxic organic vapors are emitted from a wide variety of building materials, consumer products, and human activities. Control of indoor organic vapors generally involves removing the source and/or increasing the ventilation rate. The ubiquitous nature of sources of organic vapors generally makes source removal impractical. Increased ventilation causes increased energy usage with its resultant economic penalties. Therefore, practical removal methods are needed.