Build Equinox is pleased to announce that our collaboration with University of Illinois researchers on human-correlated particulates is now available in the ACS ES&T Air Journal (if you cannot get access through your local library, send Ty a note and he will send you a pdf).
All those test chamber hours and an extensive series of field tests provided insights and quantitative information for understanding the sea of particulates we live in. Among those insights: most human-related particulates are external (non-respiratory) emissions, movement and elevated activity significantly increases human-related particulate releases, perpetually airborne sub-micron particulates are the most numerous, complex environments such as restaurants have particulate concentrations that are strongly correlated to human occupancy.
These research results provide an important quantitative foundation for understanding particulate concentrations in rooms due to human occupancy relative to ventilation and filtration of indoor spaces. When coupled with outdoor particulate concentration and building infiltration characteristics, these research results provide important maintenance information such as filter replacement scheduling.
Our research team has formulated a “fomite aerosol hypothesis” in which infectious microbes in our respiratory system hitchhike a ride on inhaled sub-micron particulates (<1 micron diameter) that are subsequently exhaled. Unlike 2.5 micron and larger particulates that are fully deposited in our respiratory system, more than 50% of inhaled sub-micron particulates are exhaled after moving into every nook and cranny of our lungs where infectious microbes are concentrated. More research is required to measure significance of fomite aerosols; however, it seems likely that bringing a particle into close contact where infectious microbes are multiplying is important. Stay tuned!
