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. 2019 Jun 5;9(31):17726-17736.
doi: 10.1039/c9ra01988j. eCollection 2019 Jun 4.

A novel method for textile odor removal using engineered water nanostructures

Lisha Zhu  1   2   3 , Yanbiao Liu  4   5 , Xuemei Ding  1   2   3 , Xiongying Wu  6 , Wolfgang Sand  4   7 , Huiling Zhou  1   2   3
Affiliations

A novel method for textile odor removal using engineered water nanostructures

Lisha Zhu et al. RSC Adv. .

Abstract

The malodor attached to textiles not only causes indoor environmental pollution but also endangers people's health even at low concentrations. Existing technologies cannot effectively eliminate the odor. Herein, an effective and environmentally friendly technology was proposed to address this challenging issue. This technology utilizes electrospraying process to produce Engineered Water Nanostructures (EWNS) in a controllable manner. Upon application of a high voltage to the Taylor cone, EWNS can be generated from the condensed vapor water through a Peltier element. Smoking, cooking and perspiration, considered the typical indoor malodorous gases emitted from human activities, were studied in this paper. A headspace SPME method in conjunction with GC-MS was employed for the extraction, detection and quantification of any odor residues. Results indicated that EWNS played a significant role in the deodorization process with removal efficiencies for the three odors were 95.3 ± 0.1%, 100.0 ± 0.0% and 43.7 ± 2.3%, respectively. The Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) contained in the EWNS, mainly hydroxyl (OH˙) and superoxide radicals are the possible mechanisms for the odor removal. These ROS are strong oxidative and highly reactive and have the ability to convert odorous compounds to non-odorous compounds through various chemical reaction mechanisms. This study showed clearly the potential of the proposed method in the field of odor removal and can be applied in the battle against indoor air pollution.

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Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. The generation of EWNS.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2. Schematic diagram of the box to absorb the smoke smell.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3. ROS characterization of EWNS by ESR. (a) Detection of OH˙. (b) Detection of
Fig. 4
Fig. 4. Odor removal data for nicotine, linalool, anethole and isovaleric acid. (a and b) The peak area and abundance of nicotine (smoke smell) among groups; (c–f) the peak area and abundance of linalool and anethole (cooking smell) among groups; (g and h) the peak area and abundance of isovaleric acid (perspiration smell) among groups.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5. The decreasing concentrations of nicotine, linalool, anethole and isovaleric acid.
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