Toto Co., Ltd.

Atushi Kitamura

Akira Fujishima

Kazuhito Hashimoto

Toshiya Watanabe

Eiichi Kojima

A process for photocatalytically treating a hospital room contaminated by bacteria or an interior environment bearing airborne malodorous substances. A thin film of photocatalyst made of a semiconductor such as titanium dioxide is disposed on the inner wall of the hospital room or living space. The photocatalytic thin film is irradiated by a light source suitable for general lighting applications, such as a fluorescent lamp, and is photoexcited by the small amount of ultraviolet radiation included in the light of the fluorescent lamp. The wattage of the fluorescent lamp as well as the distance between the photocatalytic thin film and the lamp are selected such that the intensity of those UV wavelengths which have a higher energy than the band gap energy of the photo-catalyst is 0.001-1 mW/cm.sup.2, preferably, 0.01-0.1 mW/cm.sup.2. The bacteria and chemical compounds deposited on the photoexcited thin film are photodecomposed.

Photocatalytic air treatment process under room light

A process for photocatalytically treating a hospital room contaminated by bacteria or an interior environment bearing airborne malodorous substances. A thin film of photocatalyst made of a semiconductor such as titanium dioxide is disposed on the inner wall of the hospital room or living space. The photocatalytic thin film is irradiated by a light source suitable for general lighting applications, such as a fluorescent lamp, and is photoexcited by the small amount of ultraviolet radiation included in the light of fluorescent lamp. The wattage of the fluorescent lamp as well as the distance between the photocatalytic thin film and the lamp are selected such that the intensity of those UV wavelengths which have a higher energy than the band gap energy of the photo-catalyst is 0.001-1 mW/cm.sup.2, preferably, 0.01-0.1 mW/cm.sup.2. The bacteria and chemical compounds deposited on the photoexcited thin film are photodecomposed.

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Kitakyushu, Japan

Atushi Kitamura