The removal of total suspended particulates (TSP) using chitosan/PVA electrospun fibers

Faculty of Earth Science, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, 17600 Jeli, Malaysia

^* Corresponding author: syazana@umk.edu.my

Abstract

Total suspended particle (TSP) is the measurement of the amount of suspended particle with a diameter less than 100 micrometers. The exposure of particulate matter can be significant for human health and environment. It can cause respiratory and cardiovascular effects, reduce visibility, and reduce water quality. Electrospun fibers is a versatile technology that can produce large surface area, controllable fiber diameter and interconnected pore structure. In this study, the effectiveness of chitosan-polyvinyl alcohol (CS-PVA) fibers incorporated with activated carbon (AC) for capturing TSP in the air was investigated. The CS-PVA fibers was prepared by combining CS and PVA solutions at ratio of 30:70 with various AC concentrations ranging from 0-3 wt.%. The CS-PVA fibers prepared were fitted in the low-volume air samplers (LVAS) and placed nearby the main road of UMK Campus Jeli, for the collection of PM_2.5 and PM₁₀. Additionally, the weathering data during the sampling days was requested from My MET website to observe the influence of weather on TSP collection. Based on the results, as the AC concentration increased in the CS-PVA fibers, the concentration of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 also increased. The CSPVA-3 showed the highest collection of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 compared to other CS-PVA fibers and standard quartz filter. However, the collection of TSP on the filter paper were also influence by the humidity, rainfall, and wind speed of the sampling day.