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Photocatalytic inactivation of bioaerosols in a fixed-bed reactor with TiO2-coated glass rings

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Abstract

The photocatalytic inactivation of Bacillus subtilis spores in air was evaluated employing a fixed-bed reactor with TiO2-coated glass rings, under artificial UV-A radiation. Calculations of the radiation effectively absorbed inside the reactor were carried out by Monte Carlo simulations. The photocatalytic inactivation was assessed by analyzing the viability of the microorganisms retained by the coated glass rings inside the reactor at different irradiation periods. The initial concentration of the spores was reduced by almost 55% at the end of the experiment (12 h). Complementary assays were carried out employing Bacillus subtilis vegetative cells, obtaining a reduction of more than 96% under the same conditions. Two efficiency parameters were computed to assess the reactor performance: the photonic efficiency and the quantum efficiency of inactivation. Results of the efficiency parameters allow an objective comparison of the reactor performance under different experimental conditions and configurations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Desarrollo Tecnológico para la Industria Química (Universidad Nacional del Litoral and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), Ruta Nacional N° 168, 3000, Santa Fe, Argentina

    Silvia M. Zacarías, Silvana Pirola, Agustina Manassero, María E. Visuara, Orlando M. Alfano & María L. Satuf

  2. Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Ruta Nacional N° 168, 3000, Paraje el Pozo, Santa Fe, Argentina

    Silvia M. Zacarías, Silvana Pirola & María E. Visuara

  3. Facultad de Ingeniería y Cs. Hídricas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Ruta Nacional N° 168, 3000, Paraje el Pozo, Santa Fe, Argentina

    Agustina Manassero, Orlando M. Alfano & María L. Satuf

Authors
  1. Silvia M. Zacarías
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  2. Silvana Pirola
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  3. Agustina Manassero
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  4. María E. Visuara
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  5. Orlando M. Alfano
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  6. María L. Satuf
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Silvia M. Zacarías.

Additional information

Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c8pp00297e

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Zacarías, S.M., Pirola, S., Manassero, A. et al. Photocatalytic inactivation of bioaerosols in a fixed-bed reactor with TiO2-coated glass rings. Photochem Photobiol Sci 18, 884–890 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1039/c8pp00297e

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/c8pp00297e

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