Journal of Saveh University of Medical Sciences

Comparison of Air Aromatic Pollutant Removal Performance Using α-Fe2O3 and g-C3N4 Catalysts Through Response Surface-Based Central Composite Design Methodology

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Farshid Ghorbani Shahna 1
Rezvan Abedinloo 1
Abdulrahman Bahrami 1
Saeid Azizian 2
Majid Habibi Mohraz 1

1 Department of Occupational Health and Safety Engineering, School of Public Health, Hamadan .University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran

2 Department of Chemistry-Physics, Faculty of Petroleum Sciences and Chemistry, Bu Ali .University, Hamedan, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22034/sumsj.2026.569671.1071
Abstract
Introduction: Volatile organic compounds are some of the most significant and diverse gaseous air pollutants, which can lead to numerous health and environmental issues. Therefore, controlling their emissions from indoor air is essential and crucial. Recently, photocatalytic oxidation technology has gained considerable attention due to its ability to convert pollutants into less hazardous compounds in the presence of light. The objective of this study is to compare the performance of toluene degradation in air using g-C3N4 and α-Fe2O3 photocatalysts under visible light.Methods: The g-C3N4 and α-Fe2O3 photocatalysts were synthesized, and the photocatalytic efficiency of toluene removal using these catalysts under visible light was investigated. The catalysts were characterized using FTIR, XRD, FE-SEM, and EDX techniques. The effects of input toluene concentration, air flow rate, and relative humidity, as well as their interactions, on toluene removal efficiency were examined using central composite design methodology.Results: The toluene removal efficiency achieved was approximately 25.5% for α-Fe2O3 and 19% for g-C3N4. The superior efficiency of α-Fe2O3 can be attributed to its higher bandgap and tubular structure. Among the factors studied, the initial concentration of toluene had the most significant effect on photocatalytic removal efficiency, while relative humidity exhibited the least impact.Conclusion: The α-Fe2O3 catalyst demonstrated a relatively better performance compared to g-C3N4. Given that both catalysts possess notable advantages such as non-toxicity, easy synthesis, availability, and low cost, they can be effectively utilized in real environments for the removal of low concentrations of volatile organic pollutants.

Keywords

Air pollutants
photocatalyst
reactor
visible ligh
Response Surface Methodology
Journal of Saveh University of Medical Sciences
Volume 1, Issue 3
Autumn 2025
Pages 82-92

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