AAAR 33rd Annual Conference
October 20 - October 24, 2014
Rosen Shingle Creek
Orlando, Florida, USA
Abstract View
Shorter People May Be Exposed to More Influenza Viruses in Resuspended Dust
Peeyush Khare, LINSEY MARR, Virginia Tech
Abstract Number: 57 Working Group: Indoor Aerosols
Abstract Resuspended floor dust constitutes up to sixty percent of the total particulate matter in indoor air. This fraction may also include virus-laden particles that settle on the floor after being emitted by an infected individual. This research focuses on predicting the vertical concentration gradient of influenza viruses in resuspended dust, generated by people walking in a room. Using a sonic anemometer, we measured the velocity field from floor to ceiling at 10-cm intervals to estimate the magnitude of turbulence generated by walking. The resulting eddy diffusion coefficients were maximal at 0.14-0.20 m$^2 s$^(-1), depending on the number of people walking, at a height of ~0.75 m above the floor. This height corresponds to where the hand swings during walking. We used these coefficients in an atmospheric transport model to predict concentrations of influenza viruses in resuspended dust as a function of the carrier particle size and height in the room. Results indicate that the concentrations of resuspended viruses at heights of 1 m and 1.5 m are 7 times and 4 times higher, respectively, than at 2 m. Thus, shorter people may be exposed to higher concentrations of viruses in resuspended dust.