The objective of this project is to develop a sustainable construction material, partly made with waste, that can remove or
minimize health-threatening bio-aerosols or airborne infections through photocatalytic activity.
It will use TiO2 as a photocatalyst. The photocatalytic activity of Ti efficiently removes air pollutants such as volatile organic
compounds, sulfur oxides and ammonia to provide clean air. In photocatalyst concrete, TiO2 uses ultraviolet light from the
sun and moisture from the atmosphere to form strong oxidizing reagents which trigger the chemical reaction that
decomposes organic and inorganic pollutants in the surrounding environment.
TiO2 also has antimicrobial properties; its strong oxidizing power can inactivate microorganisms and reduce or avoid their
growth. Also, TiO2 photocatalysis was successfully applied to water disinfection, removal of bacteria and viruses and tertiary
treatment of wastewater.
However, this technology cannot be used to remove pollutants and/or microorganisms in indoor environments due to the
absence of sunlight. This project will combine TiO2 with iron in industrial waste, to enhance the use of the visible radiation
and hence enable the photocatalytic reaction with less light.
The project is a stepping-stone into building infrastructure with anti-bacterial characteristics. The crucial application of this
project would be in health centers which have been associated with several HAIs. The most common types of HAIs are
urinary tract infections (UTIs), surgical site infections, gastroenteritis, meningitis, and pneumonia. The US Centre of Disease
Control and Prevention identifies that nearly 1.7 million hospitalized patients annually acquire HCAIs and that more than
98,000 (1 in 17) die due to these. Covid-19 has also heightened public awareness of indoor air quality as stuffy crowded
indoor spaces became super spreader events during the pandemic.
