McGill-Airpura alliance: the effects of novel sustainable filters and sorbents in indoor air purifiers on indoor bioaerosols, nanoparticles and gaseous pollutants

这个合作项目是麦吉尔大学和Airpura Industries之间的合作，Airpura Industries是一家加拿大室内空气净化器开发商和全球出口商。室内空气净化器通常包含以下主要部件：过滤器和吸附剂，空气处理器，有时还有催化元件。该合作项目旨在创造关于室内空气净化器的这些组件如何与三种最有问题的室内空气污染物相互作用的新知识：纳米气溶胶，生物气溶胶和挥发性有机化合物。涉及这些污染物的室内空气净化器内的物理，化学和生物过程在科学上知之甚少。这种知识的缺乏对于正在开发的更可持续的过滤器和吸附剂尤其严重：可回收，可生物降解和可堆肥。该项目的成果将促进性能更好、更健康、更可持续的室内空气净化器的开发和实施。这些进步将在全球竞争中取得优势，为加拿大带来经济利益。该项目将包括：1）研究室内空气净化器组件与传统和新型可持续过滤器和吸附剂的界面处的物理、化学和生物过程的实验，2）研究生物气溶胶、（纳米）气溶胶和挥发性有机化合物在室内空气净化器中的去除、沉积、在产品寿命期间的转化以及生成，3）表征室内空气净化器对经处理的空气中的生物气溶胶的影响，以及4）室内空气净化器内生物和非生物污染物的相互作用和形成。基于该项目，Airpura有望升级其面向国内和出口市场的系列产品，并成为室内空气净化器可持续发展的全球领导者，包括产品生命周期结束阶段，这对减少室内空气净化器对环境的影响至关重要。四名高技能的年轻专业人员将参与该项目，并在丰富的合作研究环境中接受培训。

This collaborative project is between McGill University and Airpura Industries - a Canadian developer and global exporter of indoor air purifiers. Indoor air purifiers usually contain the following principal components: a filter and a sorbent, an air handler, and, sometimes, a catalytic element. This collaborative project aims to create new knowledge on how these components of indoor air purifiers interact with the three most problematic categories of indoor air pollutants: nano-aerosols, bioaerosols, and volatile organic compounds. The physical, chemical and biological processes inside indoor air purifiers involving these pollutants are poorly scientifically understood. This lack of knowledge is especially acute for more sustainable filters and sorbents under development: recyclable, biodegradable, and compostable. The project's results will facilitate the development and implementation of better performing, healthier and more sustainable indoor air purifiers. The advancements will deliver an edge over the global competition providing an economic benefit to Canada. The project will include: 1) the experiments investigating the physical, chemical and biological processes at the interfaces of indoor air purifier components and the traditional and novel sustainable filters and sorbents, 2) the investigation of the removal, deposition, transformations over the product lifespan, and generation in indoor air purifiers of bioaerosols, (nano)aerosols, and volatile organic compounds, 3) characterization of indoor air purifiers' effects on bioaerosols in the processed air, and 4) biological and non-biological contaminants' interactions and formation inside indoor air purifiers. Based on this project, Airpura is expected to upgrade its series of products for the domestic and export markets and emerge as a global leader in the sustainability of indoor air purifiers, including the product end of life stage, highly important for reducing the environmental impact of indoor air purifiers. Four highly skilled young professionals will be engaged in the project and trained in a rich collaborative research environment.