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Pertegal V, Riquelme E, Lozano-Serra J, Cañizares P, Rodrigo MA, Sáez C, Lacasa E. Cleaning technologies integrated in duct flows for the inactivation of pathogenic microorganisms in indoor environments: A critical review of recent innovations and future challenges. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 345:118798. [PMID: 37591101 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
Pathogenic microorganisms are a major concern in indoor environments, particularly in sensitive facilities such as hospitals, due to their potential to cause nosocomial infections. This study evaluates the concentration of airborne bacteria and fungi in the University Hospital Complex of Albacete (Spain), comparing the results with recent literature. Staphylococcus is identified as the most prevalent bacterial genus with a percentage distribution of 35%, while Aspergillus represents the dominant fungal genus at 34%. The lack of high Technology Readiness Levels (TRL 6, TRL 7) for effective indoor air purification requires research efforts to bridge this knowledge gap. A screening of disinfection technologies for pathogenic airborne microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi is conducted. The integration of filtration, irradiation or and (electro)chemical gas treatment systems in duct flows is discussed to enhance the design of the air-conditioning systems for indoor air purification. Concerns over microbial growth have led to recent studies on coating commercial fibrous air filters with antimicrobial particles (silver nanoparticles, iron oxide nanowires) and polymeric materials (polyaniline, polyvinylidene fluoride). Promising alternatives to traditional short-wave UV-C energy for disinfection include LED and Far-UVC irradiation systems. Additionally, research explores the use of TiO2 and TiO2 doped with metals (Ag, Cu, Pt) in filters with photocatalytic properties, enabling the utilization of visible or solar light. Hybrid photocatalysis, combining TiO2 with polymers, carbon nanomaterials, or MXene nanomaterials, enhances the photocatalytic process. Chemical treatment systems such as aerosolization of biocidal agents (benzalkonium chloride, hydrogen peroxide, chlorine dioxide or ozone) with their possible combination with other technologies such as adsorption, filtration or photocatalysis, are also tested for gas disinfection. However, the limited number of studies on the use of electrochemical technology poses a challenge for further investigation into gas-phase oxidant generation, without the formation of harmful by-products, to raise its TRL for effectively inactivating airborne microorganisms in indoor environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Víctor Pertegal
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Higher Technical School of Industrial Engineering, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Edificio Infante Don Juan Manuel, Campus Universitario s/n, 02071, Albacete, Spain
| | - Eva Riquelme
- Clinical Parasitology and Microbiology Area. University Hospital Complex of Albacete, C/ Hermanos Falcó 37, 02006, Albacete, Spain
| | - Julia Lozano-Serra
- Clinical Parasitology and Microbiology Area. University Hospital Complex of Albacete, C/ Hermanos Falcó 37, 02006, Albacete, Spain
| | - Pablo Cañizares
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Chemical Sciences and Technologies, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Edificio Enrique Costa Novella, Campus Universitario s/n, 13005, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Manuel A Rodrigo
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Chemical Sciences and Technologies, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Edificio Enrique Costa Novella, Campus Universitario s/n, 13005, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Cristina Sáez
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Chemical Sciences and Technologies, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Edificio Enrique Costa Novella, Campus Universitario s/n, 13005, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Engracia Lacasa
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Higher Technical School of Industrial Engineering, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Edificio Infante Don Juan Manuel, Campus Universitario s/n, 02071, Albacete, Spain.
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Sun L, Qu S, Lv X, Duan J, Wang W. Study of high‐temperature proton exchange membrane through one‐step encapsulation of ionic liquid in sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone). J Appl Polym Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/app.53384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lijun Sun
- State Key Laboratory Base of Eco‐Chemical Engineering College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science & Technology Qingdao Shandong China
| | - Shuguo Qu
- State Key Laboratory Base of Eco‐Chemical Engineering College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science & Technology Qingdao Shandong China
| | - Xueyan Lv
- State Key Laboratory Base of Eco‐Chemical Engineering College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science & Technology Qingdao Shandong China
| | - Jihai Duan
- State Key Laboratory Base of Eco‐Chemical Engineering College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science & Technology Qingdao Shandong China
| | - Weiwen Wang
- State Key Laboratory Base of Eco‐Chemical Engineering College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science & Technology Qingdao Shandong China
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Operating an ozone-evolving PEM electrolyser in tap water: A case study of water and ion transport. Sep Purif Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2022.121063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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