Hygroscopic Impact on Single Respiratory Bioaerosol Evaporation

AKHIL TEJA KAMBHAMPATI, Mark A. Hoffman, Auburn University

     Abstract Number: 650
     Working Group: Bioaerosols

Abstract
Analyzing the behavior of respiratory bioaerosols in air is crucial for elucidating the transmission dynamics of infectious diseases. This study focuses on the single bioaerosol behavior by examining the effects of salinity induced hygroscopic properties that mimic saliva-like behavior. To achieve this, pure water and saline doped droplets were monitored on an inverted microscope to measure the droplet size change rate. Hydrophobic slides were used to maintain a near-spherical shape, approximating the bioaerosol in the air. Experiments show that saline-induced hygroscopic behavior mitigates the rate of droplet size reduction. This deceleration in evaporation dynamics is critical for understanding the persistence and transmission potential of infectious bioaerosols. These findings provide essential airborne pathogen propagation mechanism insights and inform the development of effective airborne disease spread prevention strategies.