Dispersion of droplets due to the use of air purifiers during summer: Focus on the spread of COVID-19

Abstract

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which emerged in 2019, has induced worldwide chaos. The main cause of COVID-19 mass infection indoors is the spread of virus-containing droplets via indoor airflow, which is affected by air conditioners and purifiers. Here, ten experimental cases were established to analyze how use of air purifiers affects the spread of virus-containing droplets. The experiments were conducted in a school classroom with an air conditioner in summer. In the droplet dispersion experiment, paraffin oil was used as the droplet substance. Two main scenarios were simulated: (1) an infected student was seated in the back of the classroom; and (2) the teacher, standing in the front of the classroom, was infected. The results were expressed using two parameters: peak concentration and loss rate, which reflect the degree of direct and indirect infection (airborne infection), respectively. The air purifier induced a peak concentration decrease of 42% or an increase of 278%, depending on its location in the classroom. Conversely, when the air purifier was operated in the high mode (flow rate = 500 CMH; cubic meters per hour), the loss rate showed that the amount of droplet nuclei only decreased by 39% and the droplet amount decreased by 22%. Thus, the airborne infection degree can be significantly reduced. Finally, the use of air purifiers in the summer may be helpful in preventing group infections by reducing the loss rate and peak concentration if the air purifier is placed in a strategic location, according to the airflow of the corresponding room.

Keywords: Air conditioner; Air purifier; Airborne infection; COVID-19; Droplet dispersion; Indoor.

Fig. 1

Schematic diagram of the droplet dispersion stages.

Fig. 2

Layout of the particle generator.

Fig. 3

Experimental setup and sampling location.

Fig. 4

Measurement schedule used in the droplet dispersion experiments.

Fig. 5

Classroom airflow produced by the EHP.

Fig. 6

Differences in PM10 concentration according to the particle generation location. (a) Case 1: Particle generator location A with no air purifier; (b) Case 2: Particle generator location B with no air purifier.

Fig. 7

Comparison of the PM10 mass concentration loss rate between cases.