Assessing the Filtration Effectiveness of a Portable Ultraviolet Air Cleaner on Airborne SARS-CoV-2 Laden Droplets in a Patient Room: A Numerical Study
Abstract It has been confirmed that SARS-CoV-2 can infect humans via airborne transmission from person to person. Accordingly, there are two concerns about the exhaled airborne SARS-CoV-2 aerosol emitted from the coughs or sneezes of COVID-19 patients: (1) It might infect healthcare providers in the...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Springer
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Aerosol and Air Quality Research |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.200608 |
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| _version_ | 1825197536993869824 |
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| author | Yu Feng Jianan Zhao Michele Spinolo Kyle Lane Darren Leung Dave Marshall Peter Mlinaric |
| author_facet | Yu Feng Jianan Zhao Michele Spinolo Kyle Lane Darren Leung Dave Marshall Peter Mlinaric |
| author_sort | Yu Feng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract It has been confirmed that SARS-CoV-2 can infect humans via airborne transmission from person to person. Accordingly, there are two concerns about the exhaled airborne SARS-CoV-2 aerosol emitted from the coughs or sneezes of COVID-19 patients: (1) It might infect healthcare providers in the same confined patient rooms; (2) It might enter the main ventilation system and transmit to other patient room as a health threat. Therefore, a portable ultraviolet (UV) air cleaner is designed to mitigate the exposure risks to SARS-CoV-2 laden droplets in the patient room. Using the experimentally validated computational fluid-particle dynamics (CFPD) model, this study simulated the airborne transmission, deposition, and clearance of the COVID-19 virus-laden droplets emitted from a virtual patient in a virtual patient room with realistic ventilation conditions and various operating conditions of the portable UV air cleaner. Parameter analysis was performed to investigate how the ventilation conditions and the operation conditions of the sanitizer can influence the effectiveness of the filtration, which are quantified by the reduction of the concentration of virus-laden droplets suspended in the room and escaped from the room into the main ventilation system. Results indicate that the air cleaner is effective in virus-laden droplets clearance if placed in appropriate locations. In addition, maximizing the ventilation flow rate of the air cleaner will provide the best mitigation effect, with the highest filtration efficiency. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cacadba06f4d41599a7fd98ad717a3d3 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1680-8584 2071-1409 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | Springer |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Aerosol and Air Quality Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-cacadba06f4d41599a7fd98ad717a3d32025-02-09T12:20:56ZengSpringerAerosol and Air Quality Research1680-85842071-14092021-01-0121511410.4209/aaqr.200608Assessing the Filtration Effectiveness of a Portable Ultraviolet Air Cleaner on Airborne SARS-CoV-2 Laden Droplets in a Patient Room: A Numerical StudyYu Feng0Jianan Zhao1Michele Spinolo2Kyle Lane3Darren Leung4Dave Marshall5Peter Mlinaric6School of Chemical Engineering, Oklahoma State UniversitySchool of Chemical Engineering, Oklahoma State UniversityCoV-EngCoV-EngCoV-EngCoV-EngCoV-EngAbstract It has been confirmed that SARS-CoV-2 can infect humans via airborne transmission from person to person. Accordingly, there are two concerns about the exhaled airborne SARS-CoV-2 aerosol emitted from the coughs or sneezes of COVID-19 patients: (1) It might infect healthcare providers in the same confined patient rooms; (2) It might enter the main ventilation system and transmit to other patient room as a health threat. Therefore, a portable ultraviolet (UV) air cleaner is designed to mitigate the exposure risks to SARS-CoV-2 laden droplets in the patient room. Using the experimentally validated computational fluid-particle dynamics (CFPD) model, this study simulated the airborne transmission, deposition, and clearance of the COVID-19 virus-laden droplets emitted from a virtual patient in a virtual patient room with realistic ventilation conditions and various operating conditions of the portable UV air cleaner. Parameter analysis was performed to investigate how the ventilation conditions and the operation conditions of the sanitizer can influence the effectiveness of the filtration, which are quantified by the reduction of the concentration of virus-laden droplets suspended in the room and escaped from the room into the main ventilation system. Results indicate that the air cleaner is effective in virus-laden droplets clearance if placed in appropriate locations. In addition, maximizing the ventilation flow rate of the air cleaner will provide the best mitigation effect, with the highest filtration efficiency.https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.200608COVID-19Patient room; Portable UV air cleanerComputational fluid-particle dynamics (CFPD)Cough droplets |
| spellingShingle | Yu Feng Jianan Zhao Michele Spinolo Kyle Lane Darren Leung Dave Marshall Peter Mlinaric Assessing the Filtration Effectiveness of a Portable Ultraviolet Air Cleaner on Airborne SARS-CoV-2 Laden Droplets in a Patient Room: A Numerical Study Aerosol and Air Quality Research COVID-19 Patient room; Portable UV air cleaner Computational fluid-particle dynamics (CFPD) Cough droplets |
| title | Assessing the Filtration Effectiveness of a Portable Ultraviolet Air Cleaner on Airborne SARS-CoV-2 Laden Droplets in a Patient Room: A Numerical Study |
| title_full | Assessing the Filtration Effectiveness of a Portable Ultraviolet Air Cleaner on Airborne SARS-CoV-2 Laden Droplets in a Patient Room: A Numerical Study |
| title_fullStr | Assessing the Filtration Effectiveness of a Portable Ultraviolet Air Cleaner on Airborne SARS-CoV-2 Laden Droplets in a Patient Room: A Numerical Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessing the Filtration Effectiveness of a Portable Ultraviolet Air Cleaner on Airborne SARS-CoV-2 Laden Droplets in a Patient Room: A Numerical Study |
| title_short | Assessing the Filtration Effectiveness of a Portable Ultraviolet Air Cleaner on Airborne SARS-CoV-2 Laden Droplets in a Patient Room: A Numerical Study |
| title_sort | assessing the filtration effectiveness of a portable ultraviolet air cleaner on airborne sars cov 2 laden droplets in a patient room a numerical study |
| topic | COVID-19 Patient room; Portable UV air cleaner Computational fluid-particle dynamics (CFPD) Cough droplets |
| url | https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.200608 |
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