Modeling of Biological Air Purification Systems in Closed Environments

Abstract:

The paper explores the potential of biotechnological processes for air purification in closed environments. Ensuring a stable gas composition of air in isolated spaces is critical for maintaining human life in homes, offices, and the effective work of technical personnel and technical systems. Particular attention is paid to the biotechnological method of reducing the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and other greenhouse gases with the participation of microalgae. Atmospheric air, bubbled through a membrane photobioreactor with a culture of microalgae Chlorella vulgaris, showed a decrease in CO₂ content from 0.04% to 0.015%. This indicates the high efficiency of CO₂ biofixation by microalgae in a photobioreactor equipped with a membrane module for removing oxygen, a product of photosynthesis, thereby intensifying photosynthetic activity. This approach can be used in life support systems for enclosed environments, such as spacecraft, underground structures, bomb shelters, or energy-efficient buildings. The work also develops a mathematical description that models the mechanism of CO₂ transport from the air into the internal environment of microalgae cells to provide conditions for photosynthesis, as well as the effect of oxygen removal intensity and UV irradiation on the growth of microalgae cells. The results obtained allow the optimization of air purification conditions in real biological systems.

• Periodical: Advances in Science and Technology (Volume 174)
• Pages: 65-73
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/p-U4LfVW
• Online since: April 2026
• Authors: Vasil Dyachok, Liubov Venher*, Roman Diachok
• Keywords: Biotechnology, Greenhouse Gas Absorption, Growth Dynamics, Mathematical Model, Membrane Photobioreactor, Microalgae

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