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Sinclair P, Zhao L, Beggs CB, Illingworth CJR. The airborne transmission of viruses causes tight transmission bottlenecks. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3540. [PMID: 38670957 PMCID: PMC11053022 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47923-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The transmission bottleneck describes the number of viral particles that initiate an infection in a new host. Previous studies have used genome sequence data to suggest that transmission bottlenecks for influenza and SARS-CoV-2 involve few viral particles, but the general principles of virus transmission are not fully understood. Here we show that, across a broad range of circumstances, tight transmission bottlenecks are a simple consequence of the physical process of airborne viral transmission. We use mathematical modelling to describe the physical process of the emission and inhalation of infectious particles, deriving the result that that the great majority of transmission bottlenecks involve few viral particles. While exceptions to this rule exist, the circumstances needed to create these exceptions are likely very rare. We thus provide a physical explanation for previous inferences of bottleneck size, while predicting that tight transmission bottlenecks prevail more generally in respiratory virus transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Sinclair
- MRC University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, UK
| | - Lei Zhao
- Section for GeoGenetics, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Clive B Beggs
- Carnegie School of Sport, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, UK
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2
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Wolkoff P. Indoor air humidity revisited: Impact on acute symptoms, work productivity, and risk of influenza and COVID-19 infection. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2024; 256:114313. [PMID: 38154254 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2023.114313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Recent epidemiological and experimental findings reconfirm that low indoor air humidity (dry air) increases the prevalence of acute eye and airway symptoms in offices, result in lower mucociliary clearance in the airways, less efficient immune defense, and deteriorate the work productivity. New epidemiological and experimental research also support that the environmental conditions for the risk of infection of influenza and COVID-19 virus is lowest in the Goldilocks zone of 40-60% relative humidity (RH) by decrease of the airways' susceptibility, which can be elevated by particle exposure. Furthermore, low RH increases the generation of infectious virus laden aerosols exhaled from infected people. In general, elevation of the indoor air humidity from dry air increases the health of the airways concomitantly with lower viability of infectious virus. Thus, the negative effects of ventilation with dry outdoor air (low absolute air humidity) should be assessed according to 1) weakened health and functionality of the airways, 2) increased viability and possible increased transmissibility of infectious virus, and 3) evaporation of virus containing droplets to dry out to droplet nuclei (also possible at high room temperature), which increases their floating time in the indoor air. The removal of acid-containing ambient aerosols from the indoor air by filtration increases pH, viability of infectious viruses, and the risk of infection, which synergistically may further increase by particle exposure. Thus, the dilution of indoor air pollutants and virus aerosols by dry outdoor air ventilation should be assessed and compared with the beneficial health effects by control of the center zone of 40-60% RH, an essential factor for optimal functionality of the airways, and with the additional positive impact on acute symptoms, work productivity, and reduced risk of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peder Wolkoff
- National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Denmark.
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3
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Puglia M, Ottani F, Morselli N, Pedrazzi S, Allesina G, Muscio A, Cossarizza A, Tartarini P. Airborne pathogens diffusion: A comparison between tracer gas and pigmented aerosols for indoor environment analysis. Heliyon 2024; 10:e26076. [PMID: 38404762 PMCID: PMC10884858 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e26076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The evaluation of airborne pathogens diffusion is a crucial practice in preventing airborne diseases like COVID-19, especially in indoor environments. Through this transmission route, pathogens can be carried by droplets, droplet nuclei and aerosols and be conveyed over long distances. Therefore, understanding their diffusion is vital for prevention and curbing disease transmission. There are different techniques used for this purpose, and one of the most common is the utilization of tracer gas, however, it has limitations such as the difference in size between the gas molecules and the respiratory droplets, as well as its incapability to take into account evaporation. For this reason, a new method for evaluating the diffusion of respiratory droplets has been developed. This approach involves the use of an ultrasonic emitter to release and disperse pigmented aerosols, and a colorimeter for the following quantitative evaluation. A comparison with the tracer gas technique has been carried out, showing for the pigmented aerosols methodology a response that is dependent on different relative humidity conditions, while there is no clear difference in the dispersion of tracer gas at high or low humidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Puglia
- Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Dipartimento di Ingegneria “Enzo Ferrari”, Via Pietro Vivarelli, 10-41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Filippo Ottani
- Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Dipartimento di Ingegneria “Enzo Ferrari”, Via Pietro Vivarelli, 10-41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Nicolo’ Morselli
- Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Dipartimento di Ingegneria “Enzo Ferrari”, Via Pietro Vivarelli, 10-41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Simone Pedrazzi
- Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Dipartimento di Ingegneria “Enzo Ferrari”, Via Pietro Vivarelli, 10-41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Giulio Allesina
- Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Dipartimento di Ingegneria “Enzo Ferrari”, Via Pietro Vivarelli, 10-41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Alberto Muscio
- Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Dipartimento di Ingegneria “Enzo Ferrari”, Via Pietro Vivarelli, 10-41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Andrea Cossarizza
- Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche Materno Infantili e dell'Adulto, Via del Pozzo, 71, 41124, Modena, Italy
| | - Paolo Tartarini
- Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Dipartimento di Ingegneria “Enzo Ferrari”, Via Pietro Vivarelli, 10-41125, Modena, Italy
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Yang J, Xu X, Ma X, Wang Z, You Q, Shan W, Yang Y, Bo X, Yin C. Application of machine learning to predict hospital visits for respiratory diseases using meteorological and air pollution factors in Linyi, China. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:88431-88443. [PMID: 37438508 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-28682-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
Urbanization and industrial development have resulted in increased air pollution, which is concerning for public health. This study evaluates the effect of meteorological factors and air pollution on hospital visits for respiratory diseases (pneumonia, acute upper respiratory infections, and chronic lower respiratory diseases). The test dataset comprises meteorological parameters, air pollutant concentrations, and outpatient hospital visits for respiratory diseases in Linyi, China, from January 1, 2016 to August 20, 2022. We use support vector regression (SVR) to build models that enable analysis of the effect of meteorological factors and air pollutants on the number of outpatient visits for respiratory diseases. Spearman correlation analysis and SVR model results indicate that NO2, PM2.5, and PM10 are correlated with the occurrence of respiratory diseases, with the strongest correlation relating to pneumonia. An increase in the daily average temperature and daily relative humidity decreases the number of patients with pneumonia and chronic lower respiratory diseases but increases the number of patients with acute upper respiratory infections. The SVR modeling has the potential to predict the number of respiratory-related hospital visits. This work demonstrates that machine learning can be combined with meteorological and air pollution data for disease prediction, providing a useful tool whereby policymakers can take preventive measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Yang
- Intersection of Wohushan Road and Wuhan Road in Beicheng New Area, Linyi People's Hospital, Linyi, 276000, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Xu
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaotian Ma
- School of Information and Control Engineering, Jilin Institute of Chemical Technology, Jilin City, 132022, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhaotong Wang
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Qian You
- School of Management and Engineering, Capital University of Economics and Business, Beijing, 100070, People's Republic of China
| | - Wanyue Shan
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying Yang
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Bo
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China
- BUCT Institute for Carbon-Neutrality of Chinese Industries, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Chuansheng Yin
- Intersection of Wohushan Road and Wuhan Road in Beicheng New Area, Linyi People's Hospital, Linyi, 276000, Shandong, People's Republic of China.
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Oh J, Choi J, Massoudifarid M, Park JY, Hwang J, Lim J, Byeon JH. Size-classified monitoring of ATP bioluminescence for rapid assessment of biological distribution in airborne particulates. Biosens Bioelectron 2023; 234:115356. [PMID: 37172362 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2023.115356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic ignited massive research into the rapid detection of bioaerosols. In particular, nanotechnology-based detection strategies are proposed as alternatives because of issues in bioaerosol enrichment and lead time for molecular diagnostics; however, the practical implementation of such techniques is still unclear due to obstacles regarding the large research and development effort and investment for the validation. The use of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence (expressed as relative luminescence unit (RLU) per unit volume of air) of airborne particulate matter (PM) to determine the bacterial population as a representative of the total bioaerosols (viruses, bacteria, and fungi) has been raised frequently because of the high reponse speed, resolution, and compatibility with culture-based bioaerosol monitoring. On the other hand, additional engineering attempts are required to confer significance because of the size-classified (bioluminescence for different PM sizes) and specific (bioluminescence per unit PM mass) biological risks of air for providing proper interventions in the case of airborne transmission. In this study, disc-type impactors to cut-off aerosols larger than 1 μm, 2.5 μm, and 10 μm were designed and constructed to collect PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 on sampling swabs. This engineering enabled reliable size-classified bioluminescence signals using a commercial ATP luminometer after just 5 min of air intake. The simultaneous operations of a six-stage Andersen impactor and optical PM spectrometers were conducted to determine the correlations between the resulting RLU and colony forming unit (CFU; from the Andersen impactor) or PM mass concentration (deriving specific bioluminescence).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaeho Oh
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Jisoo Choi
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Milad Massoudifarid
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Ja Young Park
- Gyeongsangbuk-Do Institute of Health and Environment, Yeongcheon, 38874, Republic of Korea
| | - Jungho Hwang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jiseok Lim
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, 38541, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jeong Hoon Byeon
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, 38541, Republic of Korea.
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Vilca-Alosilla JJ, Candia-Puma MA, Coronel-Monje K, Goyzueta-Mamani LD, Galdino AS, Machado-de-Ávila RA, Giunchetti RC, Ferraz Coelho EA, Chávez-Fumagalli MA. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Comparing the Diagnostic Accuracy Tests of COVID-19. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:diagnostics13091549. [PMID: 37174941 PMCID: PMC10177430 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13091549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
In this paper, we present a systematic review and meta-analysis that aims to evaluate the reliability of coronavirus disease diagnostic tests in 2019 (COVID-19). This article seeks to describe the scientific discoveries made because of diagnostic tests conducted in recent years during the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. Between 2020 and 2021, searches for published papers on the COVID-19 diagnostic were made in the PubMed database. Ninety-nine scientific articles that satisfied the requirements were analyzed and included in the meta-analysis, and the specificity and sensitivity of the diagnostic accuracy were assessed. When compared to serological tests such as the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA), lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA), and chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA), molecular tests such as reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP), and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) performed better in terms of sensitivity and specificity. Additionally, the area under the curve restricted to the false-positive rates (AUCFPR) of 0.984 obtained by the antiviral neutralization bioassay (ANB) diagnostic test revealed significant potential for the identification of COVID-19. It has been established that the various diagnostic tests have been effectively adapted for the detection of SARS-CoV-2; nevertheless, their performance still must be enhanced to contain potential COVID-19 outbreaks, which will also help contain potential infectious agent outbreaks in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Jeferson Vilca-Alosilla
- Computational Biology and Chemistry Research Group, Vicerrectorado de Investigación, Universidad Católica de Santa María, Arequipa 04000, Peru
- Facultad de Ciencias Farmacéuticas, Bioquímicas y Biotecnológicas, Universidad Católica de Santa María, Arequipa 04000, Peru
| | - Mayron Antonio Candia-Puma
- Computational Biology and Chemistry Research Group, Vicerrectorado de Investigación, Universidad Católica de Santa María, Arequipa 04000, Peru
- Facultad de Ciencias Farmacéuticas, Bioquímicas y Biotecnológicas, Universidad Católica de Santa María, Arequipa 04000, Peru
| | - Katiusca Coronel-Monje
- Computational Biology and Chemistry Research Group, Vicerrectorado de Investigación, Universidad Católica de Santa María, Arequipa 04000, Peru
- Facultad de Ciencias Farmacéuticas, Bioquímicas y Biotecnológicas, Universidad Católica de Santa María, Arequipa 04000, Peru
| | - Luis Daniel Goyzueta-Mamani
- Computational Biology and Chemistry Research Group, Vicerrectorado de Investigación, Universidad Católica de Santa María, Arequipa 04000, Peru
- Sustainable Innovative Biomaterials Department, Le Qara Research Center, Arequipa 04000, Peru
| | - Alexsandro Sobreira Galdino
- Laboratório de Biotecnologia de Microrganismos, Universidade Federal São João Del-Rei, Divinópolis 35501-296, MG, Brazil
| | | | - Rodolfo Cordeiro Giunchetti
- Laboratório de Biologia das Interações Celulares, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Doenças Tropicais, INCT-DT, Salvador 40015-970, BA, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Antonio Ferraz Coelho
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil
- Departamento de Patologia Clínica, COLTEC, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil
| | - Miguel Angel Chávez-Fumagalli
- Computational Biology and Chemistry Research Group, Vicerrectorado de Investigación, Universidad Católica de Santa María, Arequipa 04000, Peru
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Li Y, Zhao S, Xu Z, Qiao X, Li M, Li Y, Luo X. Peptide nucleic acid and antifouling peptide based biosensor for the non-fouling detection of COVID-19 nucleic acid in saliva. Biosens Bioelectron 2023; 225:115101. [PMID: 36708624 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2023.115101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 12/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The electrochemical biosensor with outstanding sensitivity and low cost is regarded as a viable alternative to current clinical diagnostic techniques for various disease biomarkers. However, their actual analytical use in complex biological samples is severely hampered due to the biofouling, as they are also highly sensitive to nonspecific adsorption on the sensing interfaces. Herein, we have constructed a non-fouling electrochemical biosensor based on antifouling peptides and the electroneutral peptide nucleic acid (PNA), which was used as the recognizing probe for the specific binding of the viral RNA of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Different from the negatively charged DNA probes that will normally weaken the biosensors' antifouling capabilities owing to the charge attraction of positively charged biomolecules, the neutral PNA probe will generate no side-effects on the biosensor. The biosensor demonstrated remarkable sensitivity in detecting SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA, possessing a broad linear range (1.0 fM - 1.0 nM) and a detection limit down to 0.38 fM. Furthermore, the sensing performance of the constructed electrochemical biosensor in human saliva was nearly similar to that in pure buffer, indicating satisfying antifouling capability. The combination of PNA probes with antifouling peptides offered a new strategy for the development of non-fouling sensing systems capable of assaying trace disease biomarkers in complicated biological media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanxin Li
- Key Laboratory of Optic-electric Sensing and Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, MOE, Shandong Key Laboratory of Biochemical Analysis, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science & Technology, Qingdao, 266042, China
| | - Shuju Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Optic-electric Sensing and Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, MOE, Shandong Key Laboratory of Biochemical Analysis, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science & Technology, Qingdao, 266042, China
| | - Zhenying Xu
- Key Laboratory of Optic-electric Sensing and Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, MOE, Shandong Key Laboratory of Biochemical Analysis, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science & Technology, Qingdao, 266042, China
| | - Xiujuan Qiao
- Key Laboratory of Optic-electric Sensing and Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, MOE, Shandong Key Laboratory of Biochemical Analysis, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science & Technology, Qingdao, 266042, China
| | - Mingxuan Li
- Key Laboratory of Optic-electric Sensing and Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, MOE, Shandong Key Laboratory of Biochemical Analysis, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science & Technology, Qingdao, 266042, China
| | - Youke Li
- Key Laboratory of Optic-electric Sensing and Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, MOE, Shandong Key Laboratory of Biochemical Analysis, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science & Technology, Qingdao, 266042, China
| | - Xiliang Luo
- Key Laboratory of Optic-electric Sensing and Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, MOE, Shandong Key Laboratory of Biochemical Analysis, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science & Technology, Qingdao, 266042, China.
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Avni O, Dagan Y. Dispersion of free-falling saliva droplets by two-dimensional vortical flows. THEORETICAL AND COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS 2022; 36:993-1011. [PMID: 36373071 PMCID: PMC9638496 DOI: 10.1007/s00162-022-00633-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT The dispersion of respiratory saliva droplets by indoor wake structures may enhance the transmission of various infectious diseases, as the wake spreads virus-laden droplets across the room. Thus, this study analyzes the interaction between vortical wake structures and exhaled multi-component saliva droplets. A self-propelling analytically described dipolar vortex is chosen as a model wake flow, passing through a cloud of micron-sized evaporating saliva droplets. The droplets' spatial location, velocity, diameter, and temperature are traced, coupled to their local flow field. For the first time, the wake structure decay is incorporated and analyzed, which is proved essential for accurately predicting the settling distances of the dispersed droplets. The model also considers the nonvolatile saliva components, adequately capturing the essence of droplet-aerosol transition and predicting the equilibrium diameter of the residual aerosols. Our analytic model reveals non-intuitive interactions between wake flows, droplet relaxation time, gravity, and transport phenomena. We reveal that given the right conditions, a virus-laden saliva droplet might translate to distances two orders of magnitude larger than the carrier-flow characteristic size. Moreover, accounting for the nonvolatile contents inside the droplet may lead to fundamentally different dispersion and settling behavior compared to non-evaporating particles or pure water droplets. Ergo, we suggest that the implementation of more complex evaporation models might be critical in high-fidelity simulations aspiring to assess the spread of airborne respiratory droplets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orr Avni
- Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 320003 Haifa, Israel
| | - Yuval Dagan
- Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 320003 Haifa, Israel
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Jumlongkul A. Water-based air purifier with ventilation fan system: a novel approach for cleaning indoor/outdoor transitional air during the pandemic. SN APPLIED SCIENCES 2022; 4:257. [PMID: 36091920 PMCID: PMC9443626 DOI: 10.1007/s42452-022-05142-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract This article presents the design and fabrication of an air purifier that uses a water-based technique to clean indoor/outdoor transitional air to provide a low-tech air purifier against the annual smog crisis and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The air purifier was designed and built. All tests were conducted in a closed room as well as a semi-outdoor area. Particle sizes of PM0.3, 0.5, 1.0, 3.0, 5.0, and 10 μm (particle/m3) were measured at an air inlet, air outlet, 2 m from an air inlet, and 4 m from an air outlet after 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 min of air treatment, respectively, as well as CO2 levels and relative humidity (RH). The average airflow rate was also measured. When compare to 0 min, all parameters, except semi-outdoor PM0.3 and CO2 levels, tend to decrease in both indoor and semi-outdoor conditions. When measure by total airflow specification of a dual ventilation fan, the average airflow rate at an air outlet is reduced by 20 times. Article Highlights Design and fabrication of a water-based air purifier. A low-tech air purifier helping to protect against the annual smog crisis and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The novel water-based air purifier effectively traps air particles ranging in size from 0.5 to 10 µm.
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Sharma S, Jain S, Saha A, Basu S. Evaporation dynamics of a surrogate respiratory droplet in a vortical environment. J Colloid Interface Sci 2022; 623:541-551. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2022.05.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Dong T, Hua Y, Han G, Zhang Y, Chi S, Liu Y, Liu C, Lou CW, Lin JH. Biomimetic Fibrous Leaf-Vein Membrane Enabling Unidirectional Water Penetration and Effective Antibacterial PM Filtration. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:37192-37203. [PMID: 35916495 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c10254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Air pollution induced by pathogenic particulate matter (PM) has posed a serious threat to public health worldwide. Advanced air filters are thus required, not only exhibiting high PM capture efficiency, low breathing resistance, and high internal moisture transferring performance but also isolating and inactivating external pathogenic aerosols. In this study, we demonstrated a facile approach to construct a biomimetic fibrous leaf-vein membrane with unidirectional water penetration and effective antibacterial PM filtration by one-step electrospinning of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)-based multilayer nanofibers. With ultrathin fibers penetrating the skeletal framework of bimodal thick fibers, the membranes showed gradient interconnected porous structures and achieved a highly efficient and stable (in an acid and alkali environment) PM0.3 interception (>99.98%) with low air drag (51-71 Pa). In addition, the gradient narrow pores of the membranes contributed to a gradient higher hydrophilicity. The subsequent unidirectional water motion effectively isolates pathogenic aerosols typically generated by external individuals or ultrafast water penetration from the inverse face. Moreover, the membranes demonstrated an antibacterial efficacy (>99.99%) in a 5 min contact, inactivating the intercepted airborne pathogens efficiently. The test results proved that the proposed membranes were promising advanced air filters for respirator applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Dong
- College of Textile and Clothing, Qingdao University, #308, Ningxia Road, Qingdao 266071, P. R. China
- Advanced Medical Care and Protection Technology Research Center, Qingdao University, #308 Ningxia Road, Qingdao 266071, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Fibers and Eco-Textiles, Qingdao University, #308 Ningxia Road, Qingdao 266071, P. R. China
| | - Yue Hua
- College of Textile and Clothing, Qingdao University, #308, Ningxia Road, Qingdao 266071, P. R. China
- Advanced Medical Care and Protection Technology Research Center, Qingdao University, #308 Ningxia Road, Qingdao 266071, P. R. China
| | - Guangting Han
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Fibers and Eco-Textiles, Qingdao University, #308 Ningxia Road, Qingdao 266071, P. R. China
| | - Yuanming Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Fibers and Eco-Textiles, Qingdao University, #308 Ningxia Road, Qingdao 266071, P. R. China
| | - Shan Chi
- Bestee Material Co., Ltd., Qingdao, Shandong 266001, P. R. China
| | - Yanming Liu
- Sinotech Academy of Textile Co., Ltd., Qingdao, Shandong 266001, P. R. China
| | - Cui Liu
- Qingdao Byherb New Material Co., Ltd., Qingdao, Shandong 266001, P. R. China
| | - Ching-Wen Lou
- College of Textile and Clothing, Qingdao University, #308, Ningxia Road, Qingdao 266071, P. R. China
- Advanced Medical Care and Protection Technology Research Center, Qingdao University, #308 Ningxia Road, Qingdao 266071, P. R. China
- Department of Bioinformatics and Medical Engineering, Asia University, Taichung City 413305, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung City 404333, Taiwan
- Innovation Platform of Intelligent and Energy-Saving Textiles, School of Textile Science and Engineering, Tiangong University, Tianjin 300387, P. R. China
- College of Material and Chemical Engineering, Minjiang University, Fuzhou 350108, P. R. China
| | - Jia-Horng Lin
- College of Textile and Clothing, Qingdao University, #308, Ningxia Road, Qingdao 266071, P. R. China
- Advanced Medical Care and Protection Technology Research Center, Qingdao University, #308 Ningxia Road, Qingdao 266071, P. R. China
- Advanced Medical Care and Protection Technology Research Center, Department of Fiber and Composite Materials, Feng Chia University, Taichung City 407102, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung City 404333, Taiwan
- Innovation Platform of Intelligent and Energy-Saving Textiles, School of Textile Science and Engineering, Tiangong University, Tianjin 300387, P. R. China
- College of Material and Chemical Engineering, Minjiang University, Fuzhou 350108, P. R. China
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Saccani C, Pellegrini M, Guzzini A. Perspective Chapter: Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 Indirect Spreading Routes and Possible Countermeasures. Infect Dis (Lond) 2022. [DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.105914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The research community agrees that the main indirect way the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spreads among people who do not keep social distance is through the emission of infected respiratory droplets. Infected people exhale droplets of different sizes and emission velocities while breathing, talking, sneezing, or coughing. Complex two-phase flow modeling considering evaporation and condensation phenomena describes droplets’ trajectories under the specific thermofluid dynamic boundary conditions, including air temperature, relative humidity, and velocity. However, public health organizations simply suggest a safe distance in the range of 1–2 m regardless of the effect of boundary conditions on droplets’ motion. This chapter aims to highlight open research questions to be addressed and clarify how framework conditions can influence safe distance in an indoor environment and which technical countermeasures (such as face masks wearing or heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) control) can be adopted to minimize the infection risk.
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Shen H, Han M, Shen Y, Shuai D. Electrospun Nanofibrous Membranes for Controlling Airborne Viruses: Present Status, Standardization of Aerosol Filtration Tests, and Future Development. ACS ENVIRONMENTAL AU 2022; 2:290-309. [PMID: 35928556 PMCID: PMC9342653 DOI: 10.1021/acsenvironau.1c00047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The global COVID-19 pandemic has raised great public concern about the airborne transmission of viral pathogens. Virus-laden aerosols with small size could be suspended in the air for a long duration and remain infectious. Among a series of measures implemented to mitigate the airborne spread of infectious diseases, filtration by face masks, respirators, and air filters is a potent nonpharmacologic intervention. Compared with conventional air filtration media, nanofibrous membranes fabricated via electrospinning are promising candidates for controlling airborne viruses due to their desired characteristics, i.e., a reduced pore size (submicrometers to several micrometers), a larger specific surface area and porosity, and retained surface and volume charges. So far, a wide variety of electrospun nanofibrous membranes have been developed for aerosol filtration, and they have shown excellent filtration performance. However, current studies using electrospinning for controlling airborne viruses vary significantly in the practice of aerosol filtration tests, including setup configurations and operations. The discrepancy among various studies makes it difficult, if not impossible, to compare filtration performance. Therefore, there is a pressing need to establish a standardized protocol for evaluating the electrospun nanofibrous membranes' performance for removing viral aerosols. In this perspective, we first reviewed the properties and performance of diverse filter media, including electrospun nanofibrous membranes, for removing viral aerosols. Next, aerosol filtration protocols for electrospun nanofibrous membranes were discussed with respect to the aerosol generation, filtration, collection, and detection. Thereafter, standardizing the aerosol filtration test system for electrospun nanofibrous membranes was proposed. In the end, the future advancement of electrospun nanofibrous membranes for enhanced air filtration was discussed. This perspective provides a comprehensive understanding of status and challenges of electrospinning for air filtration, and it sheds light on future nanomaterial and protocol development for controlling airborne viruses, preventing the spread of infectious diseases, and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongchen Shen
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, United States
| | - Minghao Han
- Department
of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Yun Shen
- Department
of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Danmeng Shuai
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, United States
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Ugarte-Anero A, Fernandez-Gamiz U, Portal-Porras K, Zulueta E, Urbina-Garcia O. Computational characterization of the behavior of a saliva droplet in a social environment. Sci Rep 2022; 12:6405. [PMID: 35437309 PMCID: PMC9016067 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10180-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The conduct of respiratory droplets is the basis of the study to reduce the spread of a virus in society. The pandemic suffered in early 2020 due to COVID-19 shows the lack of research on the evaporation and fate of droplets exhaled in the environment. The current study, attempts to provide solution through computational fluid dynamics techniques based on a multiphase state with the help of Eulerian–Lagrangian techniques to the activity of respiratory droplets. A numerical study has shown how the behavior of droplets of pure water exhaled in the environment after a sneeze or cough have a dynamic equal to the experimental curve of Wells. The droplets of saliva have been introduced as a saline solution. Considering the mass transferred and the turbulence created, the results has showed that the ambient temperature and relative humidity are parameters that significantly affect the evaporation process, and therefore to the fate. Evaporation time tends to be of a higher value when the temperature affecting the environment is lower. With constant parameters of particle diameter and ambient temperature, an increase in relative humidity increases the evaporation time. A larger particle diameter is consequently transported at a greater distance, since the opposite force it affects is the weight. Finally, a neural network-based model is presented to predict particle evaporation time.
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15
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Numerical Modeling of Droplet Aerosol Coagulation, Condensation/Evaporation and Deposition Processes. ATMOSPHERE 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos13020326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The differentially weighted operator-splitting Monte Carlo (DWOSMC) method is further developed to describe the droplet aerosol dynamic behaviors, including coagulation, deposition, condensation, and evaporation processes. It is first proposed that the droplet aerosols will experience firstly condensation and then evaporation, and this phenomenon is first implemented into the Monte Carlo method and sectional method with considering coagulation, deposition, and condensation/evaporation processes in both single-component and two-component aerosol particle systems. It is found that the calculated results of the DWOSMC method agree well with both the analytical solutions and the sectional method. The further developed DWOSMC method can predict the variation of particle number density, total particle volume, mean particle diameter, particle size distributions, and the component-related particle volume densities in both single component and two-component droplet aerosol systems considering coagulation, deposition, and condensation/evaporation processes.
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