A comprehensive review and perspective research in technology integration for the treatment of gaseous volatile organic compounds

Abstract

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are harmful pollutants emitted from industrial processes. They pose a risk to human health and ecosystems, even at low concentrations. Controlling VOCs is crucial for good air quality. This review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the various methods used for controlling VOC abatement. The advancement of mono-functional treatment techniques, including recovery such as absorption, adsorption, condensation, and membrane separation, and destruction-based methods such as natural degradation methods, advanced oxidation processes, and reduction methods were discussed. Among these methods, advanced oxidation processes are considered the most effective for removing toxic VOCs, despite some drawbacks such as costly chemicals, rigorous reaction conditions, and the formation of secondary chemicals. Standalone technologies are generally not sufficient and do not perform satisfactorily for the removal of hazardous air pollutants due to the generation of innocuous end products. However, every integration technique complements superiority and overcomes the challenges of standalone technologies. For instance, by using catalytic oxidation, catalytic ozonation, non-thermal plasma, and photocatalysis pretreatments, the amount of bioaerosols released from the bioreactor can be significantly reduced, leading to effective conversion rates for non-polar compounds, and opening new perspectives towards promising techniques with countless benefits. Interestingly, the three-stage processes have shown efficient decomposition performance for polar VOCs, excellent recoverability for nonpolar VOCs, and promising potential applications in atmospheric purification. Furthermore, the review also reports on the evolution of mathematical and artificial neural network modeling for VOC removal performance. The article critically analyzes the synergistic effects and advantages of integration. The authors hope that this article will be helpful in deciding on the appropriate strategy for controlling interested VOCs.