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Face Coverings, Aerosol Dispersion and Mitigation of Virus Transmission Risk.

ABSTRACT: The SARS-CoV-2 virus is primarily transmitted through virus-laden fluid particles ejected from the mouth of infected people. Face covers can mitigate the risk of virus transmission but their outward effectiveness is not fully ascertained. Objective: by using a background oriented schlieren technique, we aim to investigate the air flow ejected by a person while quietly and heavily breathing, while coughing, and with different face covers. Results: we found that all face covers without an outlet valve reduce the front flow through by at least 63% and perhaps as high as 86% if the unfiltered cough jet distance was resolved to the anticipated maximum distance of 2-3 m. However, surgical and handmade masks, and face shields, generate significant leakage jets that may present major hazards. Conclusions: the effectiveness of the masks should mostly be considered based on the generation of secondary jets rather than on the ability to mitigate the front throughflow.

SUBMITTER: Viola IM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8545035 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Face Coverings, Aerosol Dispersion and Mitigation of Virus Transmission Risk.

Viola Ignazio Maria IM Peterson Brian B Pisetta Gabriele G Pavar Geethanjali G Akhtar Hibbah H Menoloascina Filippo F Mangano Enzo E Dunn Katherine E KE Gabl Roman R Nila Alex A Molinari Emanuela E Cummins Cathal C Thompson Gerard G Lo Tsz-Yan Milly TM Denison Fiona C FC Digard Paul P Malik Omair O Dunn Mark J G MJG McDougall Catherine M CM Mehendale Felicity V FV

IEEE open journal of engineering in medicine and biology 20210120

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is primarily transmitted through virus-laden fluid particles ejected from the mouth of infected people. Face covers can mitigate the risk of virus transmission but their outward effectiveness is not fully ascertained. <i>Objective:</i> by using a background oriented schlieren technique, we aim to investigate the air flow ejected by a person while quietly and heavily breathing, while coughing, and with different face covers. <i>Results:</i> we found that all face covers witho ...[more]

PMID: 34812420

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Project description:BackgroundFace coverings constitute an important strategy for containing pandemics, such as COVID-19. Infection from airborne respiratory viruses including Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can occur in at least three modes; tiny and/or dried aerosols (typically < 1.0 μm) generated through multiple mechanisms including talking, breathing, singing, large droplets (> 0.5 μm) generated during coughing and sneezing, and macro drops transmitted via fomites. While there is a growing number of studies looking at the performance of household materials against some of these situations, to date, there has not been any systematic characterization of household materials against all three modes.MethodsA three-step methodology was developed and used to characterize the performance of 21 different household materials with various material compositions (e.g. cotton, polyester, polypropylene, cellulose and blends) using submicron sodium chloride aerosols, water droplets, and mucous mimicking macro droplets over an aerosol-droplet size range of ~ 20 nm to 0.6 cm.ResultsExcept for one thousand-thread-count cotton, most single-layered materials had filtration efficiencies < 20% for sub-micron solid aerosols. However, several of these materials stopped > 80% of larger droplets, even at sneeze-velocities of up to 1700 cm/s. Three or four layers of the same material, or combination materials, would be required to stop macro droplets from permeating out or into the face covering. Such materials can also be boiled for reuse.ConclusionFour layers of loosely knit or woven fabrics independent of the composition (e.g. cotton, polyester, nylon or blends) are likely to be effective source controls. One layer of tightly woven fabrics combined with multiple layers of loosely knit or woven fabrics in addition to being source controls can have sub-micron filtration efficiencies > 40% and may offer some protection to the wearer. However, the pressure drop across such fabrics can be high (> 100 Pa).

Dataset Information

Face Coverings, Aerosol Dispersion and Mitigation of Virus Transmission Risk.

Publications

Face Coverings, Aerosol Dispersion and Mitigation of Virus Transmission Risk.

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