Assessing the Applicability of Photocatalytic-Concrete Blocks in Reducing the Concentration of Ambient NO2of Chandigarh, India, Using Box-Behnken Response Surface Design Technique: A Holistic Sustainable Development Approach


Singla N. Singla S. Thind P.S. Singh S. Chohan J.S. Kumar R. Sharma S. Chattopadhyaya S. Dwivedi S.P. Saxena A. Issakhov A. Khalilpoor N.
2021Hindawi Limited

Journal of Chemistry
2021#2021

Anthropogenic emissions, such as industrial, vehicular, biomass burning, and coal combustion, play a significant role in degrading the atmospheric conditions of India. Therefore, in the present study, applicability of the photocatalytic-concrete blocks was estimated in improving the ambient environment of Chandigarh, India. The photocatalytic-concrete blocks were prepared by mixing the TiO2 particles with cement. All the experiments, designed in accordance with the Box-Behnken approach, in combination with response surface methodology, were performed in a batch reactor. Further, the process parameters, namely, concentration of TiO2 (1 to 5 g), UV-A irradiance (1 to 5 mW/cm2), and relative humidity (RH) (10 to 70%), were optimized to achieve maximum degradation of NO2. Outcomes of batch experiments depicted that the maximum degradation of NO2, that is, 68.32%, was attained at 3.35 g of TiO2, 5 mW/cm2 of UV-A irradiance, and 64.60% RH. The findings of batch experiment were further theoretically applied to degrade the ambient NO2 concentration of Chandigarh, India. It was estimated that using the photocatalytic concrete for construction of Chandigarhs pavements may reduce the ambient NO2 concentration of Chandigarh, India, to an average of 5.80 μg/m3. Afterwards, reusability of photocatalytic-concrete blocks was also assessed, and it was made evident that after five cycles, their efficiency was reduced by only 7.15%. Subsequently, it was revealed that hydrogen peroxide-based treatment of photocatalytic-concrete blocks could completely regenerate its treatment efficiency. Therefore, it is expected that the findings of this study may prove beneficial in urban planning, as it may assist scientific auditory in identifying the applicability of TiO2-based photocatalysis in mitigating the impacts of vehicular emissions.



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Department of Civil Engineering, I. K. Gujral Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar-Kapurthala Highway, VPO Ibban, Kapurthala, 144603, India
Department of Civil Engineering, RIMT University, Gobindgarh, Mandi, 147301, India
Department of Civil Engineering, Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, 160012, India
Department of Civil Engineering, Chandigarh University, Gharuan, 140413, India
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chandigarh University, Gharuan, 140413, India
Department of Mechanical Engineering, I. K. Gujral Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar-Kapurthala Highway, VPO Ibban, Kapurthala, 144603, India
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Jharkhand, Dhanbad, India
G. L. Bajaj Institute of Technology and Management, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, Greater Noida, 201310, India
Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics, Department of Mathematical and Computer Modelling, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Department of Energy Engineering, Graduate School of the Environment and Energy, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

Department of Civil Engineering
Department of Civil Engineering
Department of Civil Engineering
Department of Civil Engineering
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Department of Mechanical Engineering
G. L. Bajaj Institute of Technology and Management
Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics
Department of Energy Engineering

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