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. 2023 Mar:248:114120.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2023.114120. Epub 2023 Jan 27.

Estimating the restraint of SARS-CoV-2 spread using a conventional medical air-cleaning device: Based on an experiment in a typical dental clinical setting

Zhijian Liu  1 , Peiwen Zhang  2 , Haiyang Liu  2 , Junzhou He  2 , Yabin Li  3 , Guangpeng Yao  2 , Jia Liu  3 , Meng Lv  4 , Wenhui Yang  5
Affiliations

Estimating the restraint of SARS-CoV-2 spread using a conventional medical air-cleaning device: Based on an experiment in a typical dental clinical setting

Zhijian Liu et al. Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2023 Mar.

Abstract

Objectives: Droplets or aerosols loaded with SARS-CoV-2 can be released during breathing, coughing, or sneezing from COVID-19-infected persons. To investigate whether the most commonly applied air-cleaning device in dental clinics, the oral spray suction machine (OSSM), can provide protection to healthcare providers working in clinics against exposure to bioaerosols during dental treatment.

Method: In this study, we measured and characterized the temporal and spatial variations in bioaerosol concentration and deposition with and without the use of the OSSM using an experimental design in a dental clinic setting. Serratia marcescens (a bacterium) and ΦX174 phage (a virus) were used as tracers. The air sampling points were sampled using an Anderson six-stage sampler, and the surface-deposition sampling points were sampled using the natural sedimentation method. The Computational Fluid Dynamics method was adopted to simulate and visualize the effect of the OSSM on the concentration spatial distribution.

Results: During dental treatment, the peak exposure concentration increased by up to 2-3 orders of magnitude (PFU/m3) for healthcare workers. Meanwhile, OSSM could lower the mean bioaerosol exposure concentration from 58.84 PFU/m3 to 4.10 PFU/m3 for a healthcare worker, thereby inhibiting droplet and airborne transmission. In terms of deposition, OSSM significantly reduced the bioaerosol surface concentration from 28.1 PFU/m3 to 2.5 PFU/m3 for a surface, effectively preventing fomite transmission.

Conclusion: The use of OSSM showed the potential to restraint the spread of bioaerosols in clinical settings. Our study demonstrates that OSSM use in dental clinics can reduce the exposure concentrations of bioaerosols for healthcare workers during dental treatment and is beneficial for minimizing the risk of infectious diseases such as COVID-19.

Keywords: Air-cleaning device; Bioaerosol; COVID-19; Dental clinic; Healthcare workers.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Room layout and sampling points.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Grid independence verification at Line 1, Line 2, and Line 3.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Flow filed verification.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Spatial and temporal distribution of the bioaerosol (ΦX174 phage) without OSSM. (Legends indicate particle residence time).
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Spatiotemporal distribution of bioaerosol (ΦX174 phage).
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Spatial and temporal distribution of the bioaerosol (ΦX174 phage) with OSSM. (Legends indicate particle residence time).
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Simulated and experimental concentration verification at S1–S4.
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
Experimental bioaerosol concentrations at sampling point S1–S4.
Fig. 9
Fig. 9
Experimental bioaerosol deposition rates with and without OSSM at W1, W2, and W3.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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