Should we use ceiling fans indoors to reduce the risk of transmission of infectious aerosols?
The effects of ceiling fans on the transmission of infectious aerosols remain poorly understood, leading to conflicting recommendations. We conducted repeated experiments in a well-controlled chamber with a typical mixing ventilation system at three different ventilation rates with and without ceili...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2024-10-01
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| Series: | Indoor Environments |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2950362024000365 |
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| _version_ | 1846159364442816512 |
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| author | Jiayu Li Sultan Zuraimi Stefano Schiavon |
| author_facet | Jiayu Li Sultan Zuraimi Stefano Schiavon |
| author_sort | Jiayu Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The effects of ceiling fans on the transmission of infectious aerosols remain poorly understood, leading to conflicting recommendations. We conducted repeated experiments in a well-controlled chamber with a typical mixing ventilation system at three different ventilation rates with and without ceiling fans. We evaluated airborne infection risks for short- and long-range transmission routes based on size-resolved tracer particles measured at various locations. We found that the mixing ventilation without fans only effectively diluted the airborne particle concentration for the long-range route but not for the short-range. By using ceiling fans to enhance air mixing, tracer particles were distributed more homogeneously throughout the room, leading to up to 77 % reduction in short-range particle exposure while a slight increase of less than 14 % in long-range exposure. Based on the dilution-based Wells-Riley model, the changes in particle concentration translated to a maximum 47 % reduction in short-range infection risk and a marginal 4 % increase for long-range transmission. Based on the dilution factors obtained from the experiments, we developed a decision-making tool that uses the ventilation rate, the number of individuals at short- and long-range, and the disease's transmissibility to decide whether the use of ceiling fans is beneficial. Deploying ceiling fans always reduces the concentration of particles in the short range and, assuming a relationship between particles and pathogens, this directly translates to a diminished short-range risk. Based on the modeling of the overall risk, the benefits of fans are highest when the room is ventilated according to code, when masking measures are in place, and when the pathogen is not highly contagious. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-02b8f03dc763458ea36a0fff23354a19 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2950-3620 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-10-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Indoor Environments |
| spelling | doaj-art-02b8f03dc763458ea36a0fff23354a192024-11-23T06:36:24ZengElsevierIndoor Environments2950-36202024-10-0113100039Should we use ceiling fans indoors to reduce the risk of transmission of infectious aerosols?Jiayu Li0Sultan Zuraimi1Stefano Schiavon2Center for the Built Environment, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA; Berkeley Education Alliance for Research in Singapore, Singapore; Corresponding authorBerkeley Education Alliance for Research in Singapore, SingaporeCenter for the Built Environment, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USAThe effects of ceiling fans on the transmission of infectious aerosols remain poorly understood, leading to conflicting recommendations. We conducted repeated experiments in a well-controlled chamber with a typical mixing ventilation system at three different ventilation rates with and without ceiling fans. We evaluated airborne infection risks for short- and long-range transmission routes based on size-resolved tracer particles measured at various locations. We found that the mixing ventilation without fans only effectively diluted the airborne particle concentration for the long-range route but not for the short-range. By using ceiling fans to enhance air mixing, tracer particles were distributed more homogeneously throughout the room, leading to up to 77 % reduction in short-range particle exposure while a slight increase of less than 14 % in long-range exposure. Based on the dilution-based Wells-Riley model, the changes in particle concentration translated to a maximum 47 % reduction in short-range infection risk and a marginal 4 % increase for long-range transmission. Based on the dilution factors obtained from the experiments, we developed a decision-making tool that uses the ventilation rate, the number of individuals at short- and long-range, and the disease's transmissibility to decide whether the use of ceiling fans is beneficial. Deploying ceiling fans always reduces the concentration of particles in the short range and, assuming a relationship between particles and pathogens, this directly translates to a diminished short-range risk. Based on the modeling of the overall risk, the benefits of fans are highest when the room is ventilated according to code, when masking measures are in place, and when the pathogen is not highly contagious.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2950362024000365Airborne transmissionInfection riskCOVID-19VentilationDilution factor |
| spellingShingle | Jiayu Li Sultan Zuraimi Stefano Schiavon Should we use ceiling fans indoors to reduce the risk of transmission of infectious aerosols? Indoor Environments Airborne transmission Infection risk COVID-19 Ventilation Dilution factor |
| title | Should we use ceiling fans indoors to reduce the risk of transmission of infectious aerosols? |
| title_full | Should we use ceiling fans indoors to reduce the risk of transmission of infectious aerosols? |
| title_fullStr | Should we use ceiling fans indoors to reduce the risk of transmission of infectious aerosols? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Should we use ceiling fans indoors to reduce the risk of transmission of infectious aerosols? |
| title_short | Should we use ceiling fans indoors to reduce the risk of transmission of infectious aerosols? |
| title_sort | should we use ceiling fans indoors to reduce the risk of transmission of infectious aerosols |
| topic | Airborne transmission Infection risk COVID-19 Ventilation Dilution factor |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2950362024000365 |
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