The quality of the indoor and outdoor has a significant impact on the quality of air that we breathe in our habitable spaces like homes and offices. The buildings especially that are ill-lit or ill-ventilated cause various illnesses, i.e. asthma, allergy, reduced efficiency, lack of energy, known as Sick Building Syndrome (SBS). The SBS, combined with other environmental issues, has a direct or indirect impact on the health of the workers, workplace comfort level, and productivity. However, not much effort is put into buildings to keep the cost of the buildings in check. The fact is both low-cost and high-cost buildings are equally prone to SBS if not dealt with at the design stage from the beginning. This paper aims to address this recurring problem of SBS in ill-lit and ill-ventilated buildings by exploring various systems taken from results from a structured questionnaire given to the users.
Plastics are extensively used due to their versatility, durability, and low cost. PET stands for Polyethylene terephthalate. PET plastic is widely used all over the world and has many applications ranging from water bottles to fabrics like polyester and many things in between. But its unrestrained use in every field is resulting in heaps and piles of non-biodegradable materials causing damage to the environment and causing pollution. The idea being proposed is to degrade the PET plastic biologically using different bacteria. The bacteria used in this process are Ideonella sakaiensis, Acetobacterium woodii, Pelotomaculum and Methanospirillum hungatei. PET plastic is degraded, yielding Terephthalic Acid (TPA) and Ethylene Glycol (EG) by the action of the bacterium I. sakaiensis. Degradation of EG by A. woodii results in the formation of acetate and ethanol. TPA is degraded by the action of the coculture of Pelotomaculum and M. hungatei thereby yielding methane and acetate. All these products formed have significant commercial uses in various industries. The complete process that is to be carried out can help in achieving sustainability by fulfilling various Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations.
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