This discovery which might clear up our interiors and shield our well being | EUROtoday

FFaced with the invisible enemy that’s indoor air air pollution, a crew of Franco-Danish researchers has developed a revolutionary innovation: an ultraporous materials able to capturing a poisonous risky natural compound (VOC), which We generally discover in our residing areas: formaldehyde. This notably dangerous pollutant is launched from quite a few supplies and objects current in our properties, whereas its influence on well being is nicely documented, starting from respiratory irritation to acknowledged carcinogenic results.

The discovery made by the Caen Catalysis and Spectrochemistry Laboratory (LCS, University of Caen/EnsiCaen/CNRS), in collaboration with the Paris Institute of Porous Materials (CNRS/Espci Paris/ENS/Université PSL) and Danish researchers , might revolutionize indoor air purification strategies. “To date, the few existing solutions, which all use activated carbon, are not very effective against pollutants such as formaldehyde. In fact, activated carbon absorbs everything that comes within its reach, in a non-selective manner, and therefore very quickly finds itself saturated with water vapor and CO₂, two compounds omnipresent in indoor air,” explains Marco Daturi. , specialist in bodily chemistry on the LCS in Caen. However, as soon as saturated, activated carbon itself turns into a supply of air pollution, as a result of it releases what it has absorbed.

What pushed the crew of researchers to search for higher? Marco Daturi, co-pilot of this analysis work carried out as a part of a challenge financed by the Ecological Transition Agency (Ademe) in collaboration with the corporate Teqoya, specializing within the seize of wonderful particles, explains that formaldehyde is actually omnipresent in our interiors: “It is in paints, glues, floors, clothing, furniture, but also in many imported consumer objects. Formaldehyde is used as a disinfectant because it prevents the proliferation of fungi and mold. Thus, these objects, often transported by boat from humid regions of Asia, are impregnated with formaldehyde to prevent any damage linked to humidity during the journey. » However, the need to purify our closed spaces becomes all the more important as modern buildings are increasingly airtight for reasons of energy efficiency and therefore concentrate even more pollutants like this.

An efficient, clean and durable material

Published in the scientific journal Nature Communicationsthe researchers’ results highlight the effectiveness of a new material called MOF (Metal-Organic Framework), capable of capturing and sustainably storing formaldehyde. MOFs function as true “molecular sponges”: crystalline constructions made up of metallic atoms linked by natural molecules, forming a three-dimensional community with tiny pores. Pores which, on this particular case, have been specifically studied to lure formaldehyde molecules and solely formaldehyde molecules.

“The material that we have developed, with my Parisian colleague Christian Serre, whose specialty it is, is designed to be both efficient and ecological. Its manufacture is carried out at low temperature using water as a solvent and with components – pyrazole and aluminum hydroxide – that are both inexpensive and non-toxic. The result is a material capable of capturing formaldehyde efficiently and selectively, without ever releasing this pollutant into the air,” explains Marco Daturi.

In addition to its effectiveness, the lifespan of the fabric challenges that of present options, which should be changed usually. “After a year of use, the filter can be rinsed with water to remove pollutants and immediately reused. This process can be repeated up to ten times. At the end of these ten years of use, the filter can then be returned to the manufacturer who can then easily recover its constituents to make a new filter,” explains Professor Daturi.

What in regards to the rinse water? The researchers had been involved with this query and proposed a intelligent answer: “All you must do is pour this water into the bathroom after use in order that the formaldehyde reacts with the urea current, producing urethane, a disinfectant. » And even when the rinse water needed to be thrown right into a sink, this doesn’t pose a lot of an issue: “Many widespread detergents include formaldehyde, wastewater remedy vegetation are geared up to do away with this. »

A patent and a start-up

To Discover



Kangaroo of the day

Answer

Concretely, the anti-formaldehyde MOF comes within the type of a white powder, just like flour, which researchers form into small balls that may be inserted into a traditional air purifier filter. These beads may also be mixed with different varieties of MOFs, designed to seize different pollution, comparable to nitrogen oxides, that are widespread in city environments or close to main highways. “We have carried out tests which show that, with our new material, a few tens of minutes are enough to treat a large room, with a single purifier. Because the air only needs to pass through the filter once to see the formaldehyde concentration drop drastically,” emphasizes Marco Daturi.

To make this progress a actuality and patent the invention, a start-up referred to as SquairTech was based by former college students concerned on this work. Currently, the corporate is concentrated on industrializing the manufacturing of MOF which it plans to market as air filtration units. If this know-how retains its guarantees, it might free our residing areas, workplaces, faculties, nurseries and hospitals from this dangerous pollutant, thus providing a response to a significant well being problem.