Atmospheric PAH removal by nonwoven fabric filters incorporated with graphene oxide

• Grant number: 23/07945-2
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: February 01, 2024
• End date: January 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Sanitary Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Simone Andréa Pozza
• Grantee: Simone Andréa Pozza
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Tecnologia (FT). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Limeira , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Diego Stéfani Teodoro Martinez ; Joyce Cristale ; Marcos Vinicius Lorevice ; Mônica Lopes Aguiar

Abstract

Poor air quality has adverse effects on climate, ecosystems, and human health. Airborne particulate matter (PM) is one of the main atmospheric pollutants, and poses a serious threat to health, being associated with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, in addition to an increased rate of mortality. Due to its high surface area, PM adsorbs harmful compounds such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Among the control technologies, filters and membranes containing graphene oxide (GO) have a high adsorptive capacity to capture PM. Thus, the project aims at the fabrication, characterization, and analysis of the filtration efficiency of 16 PAH by polypropylene nonwoven fabric (NWF-PP) filters incorporated with GO. The GO will be applied to the filters by two techniques: spraying and immersion, generating film and membrane layers, respectively. The morphology, composition, and structure of the filter will be characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Contact profilometry, Raman spectrometry, energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS). For sampling, we will use Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS), using the NWF-PP/GO filter for capturing particulate and XAD-2 cartridges for the gas phase. The extracts will be analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). We expect a filtration efficiency greater than 95%, a maximum pressure drop of 70 Pa, and a high quality factor (> 0.7 Pa-1). Furthermore, obtaining a high porosity and permeability filter is desirable for practical applications such as personal protective equipment and domestic filtration. (AU)