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as the effect of different bright sources. These mixtures have been used because they
are considered products having a behavior "model" in comparison to the present
polluting mixtures in the environment. This makes to deduce that if the degradation is
effective with these mixtures, it can also be reasonably effective also with other present
polluting mixtures that are in the environment.
Photocatalytic paints, that contain the dioxide of titanium, degrade the polluting
substances, but in the degradation it can also happen the formation of harmful by-
products for the health of the man; the formation of the by-products clearly depends on
the presence of harmful origin compound, already present in the environment where the
samples have been tested and their harmfulness is evidently tied up to the quantities at
stake.
The experimentation, even if not concluded in order to this last aspect, has in every case
identified that the photocatalytic paints can be effective to degrade the quoted polluting
mixtures and it can be gotten already starting from paints diffused in commerce and
opportunely processed.
The following phase of the research is addressed to the study of the applicability of the
photocatalytic paints and it faced the theme of the quality of the air in confined
environments as hospitals and nursing homes, frequented by a part of population
defined "weak", analyzing present pollutants in hospital departments, their sources and
the formalities of prevention finalized to attenuate the harmful effects for the human
health, with the use also of installations of ventilation/conditioning of the air and cleaning
and sanitation protocols.
To do this, definitions of quality of the air, indoor air pollution and confined environments
have been taking in consideration, have been investigated documents that focus on
single present pollutants and sources producing these harmful substances and also it
has been analyzed the Guidelines enacted by the Italian Ministry of the Health, for the
safeguard and the promotion of the health in confined environments.
The research faced specifically the following items:
•
Regulations and recommendations having for subject hospitals, with the punctual
study of the regulations and guidelines that furnish prescriptions on procedures of
construction of the buildings, and regulate the thermo-hygrometric, ventilation and
illumination standards of each hospital departments;
•
Technological solutions and products still used for the realization of floorings, walls and
ceilings in hospital environments;
•
Innovative technological solutions and suitable products for superficial treatments for
internal rooms applied for decreasing the presence of indoor pollution;
•
The photocatalytic process and products that effect this phenomenon, presents in the
Italian market;
•
The regulation that controls the measurement of the degradation of polluting
substances effected by these products and the brevets deposited by the Italian firms;
•
The experimentation in the laboratory to verify the effectiveness of the degradation of
the pollutants through the process of photocatalysis.
This paper concerns on the technological solution to the problem of the indoor air
pollution in the confined environments constituted by the application of defined
photocatalytic building products like paints and on the problem list related to the
applicability of these products.
The pollution in confined environments and the reference regulation
"The indoor air pollution refers to the presence of physical, chemical and biological
contaminants in the air of the non industrial closed environments of life and work and
particularly of all the confined places adapted to house, relaxation, work and transport.
The "indoor" expression is related to residences, public and private offices (hospitals,
schools, offices, barracks, etc.), commercial structures (hotels, banks, etc.), places
