Novel measurement system for respiratory aerosols and droplets in indoor environments

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has created a great demand for a better understanding of the spread of viruses in indoor environments. A novel measurement system consisting of one portable aerosol-emitting mannequin (emitter) and a number of portable aerosol-absorbing mannequins (recipients) was developed that can measure the spread of aerosols and droplets that potentially contain infectious viruses. The emission of the virus from a human is simulated by using tracer particles solved in water. The recipients inhale the aerosols and droplets and quantify the level of solved tracer particles in their artificial lungs simultaneously over time. The mobile system can be arranged in a large variety of spreading scenarios in indoor environments and allows for quantification of the infection probability due to airborne virus spreading. This study shows the accuracy of the new measurement system and its ability to compare aerosol reduction measures such as regular ventilation or the use of a room air purifier.     

Real-time organic aerosol chemical speciation in the indoor environment using extractive electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Understanding the sources and composition of organic aerosol (OA) in indoor environments requires rapid measurements, since many emissions and processes have short timescales. However, real-time molecular-level OA measurements have not been reported indoors. Here, we present quantitative measurements, at a time resolution of five seconds, of molecular ions corresponding to diverse aerosol-phase species, by applying extractive electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (EESI-MS) to indoor air analysis for the first time, as part of the highly instrumented HOMEChem field study. We demonstrate how the complex spectra of EESI-MS are screened in order to extract chemical information and investigate the possibility of interference from gas-phase semivolatile species. During experiments that simulated the Thanksgiving US holiday meal preparation, EESI-MS quantified multiple species, including fatty acids, carbohydrates, siloxanes, and phthalates. Intercomparisons with Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS) and Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer suggest that EESI-MS quantified a large fraction of OA. Comparisons with FIGAERO-CIMS shows similar signal levels and good correlation, with a range of 100 for the relative sensitivities. Comparisons with SV-TAG for phthalates and with SV-TAG and AMS for total siloxanes also show strong correlation. EESI-MS observations can be used with gas-phase measurements to identify co-emitted gas- and aerosol-phase species, and this is demonstrated using complementary gas-phase PTR-MS observations.     

Real-time molecular characterization of air pollutants in a Hong Kong residence: Implication of indoor source emissions and heterogeneous chemistry

Due to the high health risks associated with indoor air pollutants and long-term exposure, indoor air quality has received increasing attention. In this study, we put emphasis on the molecular composition, source emissions, and chemical aging of air pollutants in a residence with designed activities mimicking ordinary Hong Kong homes. More than 150 air pollutants were detected at molecular level, 87 of which were quantified at a time resolution of not less than 1 hour. The indoor-to-outdoor ratios were higher than 1 for most of the primary air pollutants, due to emissions of indoor activities and indoor backgrounds (especially for aldehydes). In contrast, many secondary air pollutants exhibited higher concentrations in outdoor air. Painting ranked first in aldehyde emissions, which also caused great enhancement of aromatics. Incense burning had the highest emissions of particle-phase organics, with vanillic acid and syringic acid as markers. The other noteworthy fingerprints enabled by online measurements included linoleic acid, cholesterol, and oleic acid for cooking, 2,5-dimethylfuran, stigmasterol, iso-/anteiso-alkanes, and fructose isomers for smoking, C₂₈-C₃₄ even n-alkanes for candle burning, and monoterpenes for the use of air freshener, cleaning agents, and camphor oil. We showed clear evidence of chemical aging of cooking emissions, giving a hint of indoor heterogeneous chemistry. This study highlights the value of organic molecules measured at high time resolutions in enhancing our knowledge on indoor air quality.     

上升气泡内气溶胶沉降机理研究

气溶胶池洗过滤是反应堆严重事故中去除放射性源项的重要手段。本文以严重事故条件下上升气泡中气溶胶的滞留过程为背景，设计搭建了可视化单气泡鼓泡实验装置。通过该装置研究了气溶胶在上升气泡中的沉降效率，并与MELCOR中的气溶胶沉降模型计算结果进行了对比。结果表明，气溶胶沉降效率对气泡尺寸的变化较为敏感，当气体流量大于0.1 L/min时，气泡等效直径迅速增加，相应的气溶胶沉降效率快速降低；与MELCOR模型计算结果的对比表明，两者在总体趋势上呈现出较好的一致性，但计算结果低估了液相对气溶胶的实际去除能力，导致这种偏差的主要原因是气泡在上升过程中存在无规则的晃动以及气液界面的波动。     

Experimental investigation of far-field human cough airflows from healthy and influenza-infected subjects

Seasonal influenza epidemics have been responsible for causing increased economic expenditures and many deaths worldwide. Evidence exists to support the claim that the virus can be spread through the air, but the relative significance of airborne transmission has not been well defined. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) and hot-wire anemometry (HWA) measurements were conducted at 1 m away from the mouth of human subjects to develop a model for cough flow behavior at greater distances from the mouth than were studied previously. Biological aerosol sampling was conducted to assess the risk of exposure to airborne viruses. Throughout the investigation, 77 experiments were conducted from 58 different subjects. From these subjects, 21 presented with influenza-like illness. Of these, 12 subjects had laboratory-confirmed respiratory infections. A model was developed for the cough centerline velocity magnitude time history. The experimental results were also used to validate computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models. The peak velocity observed at the cough jet center, averaged across all trials, was 1.2 m/s, and an average jet spread angle of θ = 24° was measured, similar to that of a steady free jet. No differences were observed in the velocity or turbulence characteristics between coughs from sick, convalescent, or healthy participants.     

亲油型聚结滤芯饱和度预测模型研究

纤维聚结滤芯广泛用于压缩空气净化、发动机曲轴箱通风、加工和切割等一系列工艺过程中，用于除去气流中的液体气溶胶颗粒。由于聚结滤芯饱和度对于过滤效率及阻力具有重要影响，因此建立饱和度与滤材参数及操作条件之间的关系将有助于优化滤芯结构并提高过滤性能。目前实际工业用聚结滤芯通常由多层微米级玻璃纤维材料组成，然而现有计算模型无法用于此类滤芯的饱和度预测。因此，本文基于多种常用亲油型聚结滤芯压降及饱和度实验测试结果，根据“跳跃-通道”模型及毛细管理论建立了新的饱和度预测模型。通过与大量已发表文献数据对比发现，当饱和值大于0.2时，预测值与实验结果吻合度较好，相对偏差≤20%。随着饱和度的降低，滤芯润湿区域和非润湿区域之间界限逐渐明显，此时无需对毛细管半径进行修正。然而，新模型仍然要依靠压降测量值进行计算，这一问题需在后续工作中加以解决。     

In situ measurements of human cough aerosol hygroscopicity

The airborne dynamics of respiratory droplets, and the transmission routes of pathogens embedded within them, are governed primarily by the diameter of the particles. These particles are composed of the fluid which lines the respiratory tract, and is primarily mucins and salts, which will interact with the atmosphere and evaporate to reach an equilibrium diameter. Measuring organic volume fraction (OVF) of cough aerosol has proved challenging due to large variability and low material volume produced after coughing. Here, the diametric hygroscopic growth factors (GF) of the cough aerosol produced by healthy participants were measured in situ using a rotating aerosol suspension chamber and a humidification tandem differential mobility analyser. Using hygroscopicity models, it was estimated that the average OVF in the evaporated cough aerosol was 0.88 ± 0.07 and the average GF at 90% relative humidity (RH) was 1.31 ± 0.03. To reach equilibrium in dry air the droplets will reduce in diameter by a factor of approximately 2.8 with an evaporation factor of 0.36 ± 0.05. Hysteresis was observed in cough aerosol at RH = ∼35% and RH = ∼65% for efflorescence and deliquescence, respectively, and may depend on the OVF. The same behaviour and GF were observed in nebulized bovine bronchoalveolar lavage fluid.     

中国部分地区的春季气溶胶光学特性

为了研究不同地区的气溶胶光学特性,了解地区间气溶胶成分和来源的差异,建立了典型地区的气溶胶光学模式。基于POM02太阳辐射计测量的太阳直射辐射和散射辐射值,利用SKYRAD算法获得了青海德令哈、安徽合肥、广东茂名3个地区的春季气溶胶光学特性参数,包括谱分布、折射指数和单次散射反照率等。然后基于这些参数对气溶胶来源和分布特征进行分析,最后分析了浮尘天气对气溶胶光学参数的影响。结果表明德令哈地区大气清洁度较高,24%的光学厚度分布在0.2以下,气溶胶来源单一,以大粒子为主导;合肥地区有39%的波长指数分布在0.8~1.0之间,折射率实部随波长变化不明显,气溶胶来源复杂,以小粒子为主导;茂名地区54%的光学厚度集中在0.5左右,分布区间稳定;沙尘天气中,大粒子的增加是气溶胶光学厚度增大的主要原因。     

Modelling of black carbon statistical distribution and return periods of extreme concentrations

Eight datasets of 1-h black carbon (BC) concentrations measured in Warsaw agglomeration (Poland), at urban background and sub-urban sites, and in Racibórz, a small town in Upper Silesia district (regional background site) were analyzed to evaluate BC levels, daily profiles and statistical distributions of concentrations in Central-Eastern European region. The observed mean levels ranged from 1483 ng m⁻³ in suburban site during summer to 3358 ng m⁻³ in regional background site in winter. Observed diurnal patterns were bimodal in the locations dominated by traffic emissions, but unimodal, with elevated evening peak in individually heated residential area. Three theoretical frequency distributions were applied to fit analyzed datasets separately. The lognormal distribution was the most appropriate to represent the middle-range values, while the high concentrations were satisfactorily predicted by the type I two-parameter exponential distribution which was used to estimate the return periods of extreme concentrations for winter months.