2019 Volume 50 Issue 2 Pages 154-157
Most of the unpleasant odors in living spaces derive from aldehydes. In addition, formaldehyde is reportedly carcinogenic and a cause of sick house syndrome. However, existing deodorizing methods cannot directly reduce the amounts of aldehydes in living spaces. Therefore, an effective method that reduces aldehyde levels is demanded. To this end, we investigated the aldehyde-removing effect of enzymes from the acetic acid bacterium Gluconacetobacter hansenii, which convert aldehydes into carboxylic acids. Aldehydes were injected into a test space of 1m3, and exposed to an air cleaner containing a suspension of acetic acid bacterial enzymes. The changing aldehyde concentration was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography and thermal detector gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, and the reduction rate of the aldehyde was calculated. Almost all of the aldehydes were clearly reduced and no aldehyde odors remained in the space after the test. The results suggest that aldehydes were directly decomposed by the acetic acid bacterial enzyme suspended in the air cleaner. A novel deodorizing method based on acetic acid bacterial enzymes is expected to be developed for homes and workspaces.
