International Journal of Structural and Civil Engineering Research Vol. 7, No. 2, May 2018 Experimental Investigation on the Reduction of Common Air Pollutants from Vehicle Emission Using Concrete Bricks with Titanium Dioxide Anjerick J. Topacio Lyceum of the Philippines University – Cavite Campus, Cavite, Philippines Email: [email protected] Trifonio C. Balbin III, Shaina Barsana and Cheska Nicole C. Ravelo Lyceum of the Philippines University – Cavite Campus, Cavite, Philippines Email: [email protected] Abstract — On a global scale, air pollution is considered to been invented that made transportation much easier. This be one of the leading environmental problems. Energy development leads to the need for better roads, giving consumption, fuel burnings, industrial processes, and birth to early pavement technology which we can trace emissions continue to worsen our current air condition. from the roads that Romans have built. With the knowledge that titanium dioxide can decompose Nowadays, with the continuous development of cities harmful gases through the process called photocatalysis, an and constant innovation of vehicles, roads and highways investigation regarding its utilization on concrete bricks to reduce common air pollutants from vehicular emission is are being constructed to supply the increasing demand for pursued by the researchers. Through experimentation, the road service. Once an arable land now turned into a road study aims to know the percentage reduction on the to provide alternative ways, bridges and railways are built following parameters: carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen conducive to faster mode of transportation and traffic dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and lead (Pb). The tests systems are designed to improve the use of road and used in accordance to the objective of the study were air test, highways [1]. which is conducted by First Analytical Services and As we can see, the evolution of transportation has Technical Cooperatives (F.A.S.T laboratories). After the helped people to improve ways for living. But on an analysis, the data were recorded and tabulated. Graphs environmental point of view, roads and highways are were presented to show the differences in percentage being turned into a production site of pollutants. It is sad reductions. Results of air test showed relative reduction on to say that the improvement of man’s daily living is air pollutants, an average reduction of 77.38 percent on carbon monoxide, 40.48 percent on nitrogen dioxide and somehow directly proportional to the destruction of 81.43 percent on sulfur dioxide. The Researchers conclude environment. that concrete bricks with titanium dioxide will be able to B. Background of the Study help reduce air pollution especially on urbanized areas experiencing high vehicular emissions. Vehicular emissions can produce harmful pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur 1 Index Terms—air, pollution, titanium dioxide, pollution dioxide which pose a great threat to humans and the control environment. By being exposed to polluted air, study shows that our health may be at risk to chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD), Heart Disease I. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY and even Cancer. (ENHI, 2006) Carbon monoxide which is emitted by vehicles can A. Introduction turn into carbon dioxide which is considered as a As we are now experiencing the modern times, greenhouse gas (heat-trapping gases) and can promote different fields of study continue to develop much further. global warming. Global warming will further affect the Transportation engineering which is a component of civil environment and worsen environmental issues. engineering undergoes constant advancement with Since we are not able to stop the production and use of respect to time, due to the fact that transportation plays a vehicle for transportation, various academic studies were very vital role in our everyday life. conducted to air pollutants. One of which is the Back then, people carry or push the goods that they are application of titanium dioxide (TiO2) as photocatalytic going to transfer from one place to another until they material in construction. e.g. paints, cement, and concrete. learned to use domesticated animals for the purpose of Back then, about 80 percent of the world’s titanium transportation. About 3,500 B.C., wheel and axle have dioxide outputs are used in paints and pigment industry. Titanium dioxide gained a widespread acclaim as a 1 Manuscript received December 22, 2017; revised April 13, 2018. © 2018 Int. J. Struct. Civ. Eng. Res. 107 doi: 10.18178/ijscer.7.2.107-112 International Journal of Structural and Civil Engineering Research Vol. 7, No. 2, May 2018 pigment ever since it became a viable alternative for the The experimental investigation will occur toxic white lead used in old paints. [2] with the use of controlled area instead of However, in year 1976, another important commercial ambient air condition application of titanium dioxide has been discovered: its The study focuses on the ability of the role as a photocatalyst, which means it uses light energy subject material (bricks with titanium in the promotion of chemical reaction. Its photocatalytic dioxide) to reduce common air pollutant properties were discovered by chance by a graduate that are present in the atmosphere rather student named Akira Fujishima who is working under the than the ability of the subject material to guidance of Associate Professor Kenichi Honda. withstand loads. Fujishima noticed that the titanium dioxide absorbs the The study does not focus on producing a energy when being irradiated by light. Afterwards, it customised bricks that will have greater enables the decomposition of water into hydrogen and compressive strength with normal bricks. oxygen. [3] Despite those who have doubt this claim, The concrete bricks with titanium will be Fujishima was able to publish his work in the journal used for pavements limited to pedestrian Nature (1972), creating a way for a new phenomenon and light weight loads. now known as the Honda-Fujishima effect, named after Titanium dioxide anatase grade will be the its discoverers. [4] subject of the experimentation. Aside from being used as a pigment, titanium dioxide There will only be one sampling point to can also be added to paints, cement, windows, tiles or have an overview with reaction of normal other products for its ability to sterilize and deodorize and bricks in a controlled environment. its anti-fouling properties. [5] To have an overview about the durability C. Objectives of the Study and effectiveness of titanium dioxide after a The study aimed to determine the percentage reduction month (exposed to different weather of nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and conditions) there will only be one sampling lead from vehicle emission; using concrete bricks with point. titanium dioxide. Specifically, it aimed: II. METHODS To develop alternative construction materials This study involves evaluating the environmental aid that would help reduce nitrogen dioxide, sulfur of TiO2 mixture on concrete bricks. The goal is to find a dioxide, carbon monoxide, and lead from TiO2 application that works effectively in an Air polluted vehicle emission. environment. To determine if titanium dioxide will have equal effectiveness in reducing the four common air A. Research Design pollutants: The emission of common air pollutants (carbon Nitrogen dioxide monoxide (CO), lead (Pb), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur Sulfur dioxide dioxide (SO2), by transportation, industrial, and Carbon monoxide agricultural industries is a major contributor to air Lead; and pollution. The development of an alternative construction To test the effectiveness of bricks with titanium material that will reduce air pollutants was the focus of dioxide after a time duration (exposed to the study. different weather conditions) The effectiveness of titanium dioxide has emerged because of its photo catalytic property that is used for D. Scope and Limitations environmental purification. It has been a main ingredient The experimental investigation on the reduction of to produce a paint product that can break down noxious common pollutants from vehicle emission in air air pollutants and convert them into harmless substances. focuses on the following points: Existing studies subjecting the natural occurring mineral Percentage reduction on carbon monoxide applied into concrete was also discovered to have a self- (CO), lead (Pb), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), cleaning capability. and sulfur dioxide (SO2) by the use of The optimization of the use of TiO2 was carried out in concrete bricks with titanium dioxide. the research. To determine the performance of bricks with Air pollutant reduction will be analysed by TiO2 in a controlled area, air quality test was then conducting initial and final tests, wherein conducted for the data analysis. the final test consist of three trials through a B. Data Gathering Procedure simulation of air polluted environment. The parameters of the air test to be Primary data were collected from the vehicle used as conducted are the following: carbon source of pollutant. The vehicle was subjected in an monoxide (CO), lead (Pb) nitrogen dioxide emission test to assess whether it positively emitted the pollution required for the experiment. (NO2), and sulfur dioxide (SO2). Data were also accumulated from the air testing company (F.A.S.T. Laboratories) where initial and final © 2018 Int. J. Struct. Civ. Eng.