Evaluation of bioaerosol propagation through an air curtain

Abstract

The dispersal of bioaerosols is an important transmission route for infectious diseases. In this study, we introduce a defined bioaerosol and combine microbial air, microbial surface attachment and local particulate matter analysis. This combined measurement approach is applied to a test chamber with an internal air curtain, operated at three different flow velocities, with and without HEPA filters. The aim of this investigation is twofold: First, to study the feasibility of the combined measurements allowing for a correlation between microbial contamination and aerosol concentration. Second, to evaluate the effectiveness of an air curtain against contaminant carrying aerosol particles. The results show a good correlation between particle concentrations and the survival rate of the selected bacteria and a reduction of the particle and microbial load downstream of the air curtain by increasing the flow velocity up to 1 m/s. We conclude that both approaches allow a comparison of contaminant loads for different ventilation configurations.