Abstract
Control of airborne infectious agents in hospitals is critical both to effective healthcare and to the control of direct and indirect health care costs. Current hospital design guidelines focus on ventilation rates, room pressure control and air filtration to control the spread of airborne infectious agents. Studies indicate, however, that there is much variability in hospital design strategies used by engineers to control airborne pathogens. This study focuses on a number of questions concerning current hospital design practices and provides an overview of the tools and methods that can be used to answer some of these questions. Multizone airflow and contaminant transport simulations are used to examine different control strategies and some related issues of design and application. Design issues associated with room pressurization, filtration, and ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) are also reviewed. The results provide some important insights into the following issues: 1) using a ventilation flow differential based on building leakage better captures the relevant airflow physics of space pressure control; 2) anterooms can be effective barriers for reducing contaminant transport due to pressure differential disruptions; and, 3) filtration can provide significant protection, with more effective protection provided by additional UVGI systems.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 105-115 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Building and Environment |
| Volume | 60 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2013 Feb 1 |
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All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Environmental Engineering
- Civil and Structural Engineering
- Geography, Planning and Development
- Building and Construction
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Multizone modeling of strategies to reduce the spread of airborne infectious agents in healthcare facilities. / Emmerich, Steven J.; Heinzerling, David; Choi, Jung-il; Persily, Andrew K.
In: Building and Environment, Vol. 60, 01.02.2013, p. 105-115.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Multizone modeling of strategies to reduce the spread of airborne infectious agents in healthcare facilities
AU - Emmerich, Steven J.
AU - Heinzerling, David
AU - Choi, Jung-il
AU - Persily, Andrew K.
PY - 2013/2/1
Y1 - 2013/2/1
N2 - Control of airborne infectious agents in hospitals is critical both to effective healthcare and to the control of direct and indirect health care costs. Current hospital design guidelines focus on ventilation rates, room pressure control and air filtration to control the spread of airborne infectious agents. Studies indicate, however, that there is much variability in hospital design strategies used by engineers to control airborne pathogens. This study focuses on a number of questions concerning current hospital design practices and provides an overview of the tools and methods that can be used to answer some of these questions. Multizone airflow and contaminant transport simulations are used to examine different control strategies and some related issues of design and application. Design issues associated with room pressurization, filtration, and ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) are also reviewed. The results provide some important insights into the following issues: 1) using a ventilation flow differential based on building leakage better captures the relevant airflow physics of space pressure control; 2) anterooms can be effective barriers for reducing contaminant transport due to pressure differential disruptions; and, 3) filtration can provide significant protection, with more effective protection provided by additional UVGI systems.
AB - Control of airborne infectious agents in hospitals is critical both to effective healthcare and to the control of direct and indirect health care costs. Current hospital design guidelines focus on ventilation rates, room pressure control and air filtration to control the spread of airborne infectious agents. Studies indicate, however, that there is much variability in hospital design strategies used by engineers to control airborne pathogens. This study focuses on a number of questions concerning current hospital design practices and provides an overview of the tools and methods that can be used to answer some of these questions. Multizone airflow and contaminant transport simulations are used to examine different control strategies and some related issues of design and application. Design issues associated with room pressurization, filtration, and ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) are also reviewed. The results provide some important insights into the following issues: 1) using a ventilation flow differential based on building leakage better captures the relevant airflow physics of space pressure control; 2) anterooms can be effective barriers for reducing contaminant transport due to pressure differential disruptions; and, 3) filtration can provide significant protection, with more effective protection provided by additional UVGI systems.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84871107841&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.buildenv.2012.11.013
DO - 10.1016/j.buildenv.2012.11.013
M3 - Article
VL - 60
SP - 105
EP - 115
JO - Building and Environment
JF - Building and Environment
SN - 0360-1323
ER -