Bioaerosol filtration efficiency of clean HVAC filters and shedding of micro-organisms from filters loaded with outdoor air

Nanoparticles (NPs) can infiltrate indoor environments and have a large impact on human health when inhaled. Thus, indoor air quality is highly dependent on the outdoor air and on the filters used in the ventilation systems. In the NanoOffice study, the concentrations and the size distribution of NPs were measured with a five-minute time resolution in twelve office buildings in Umeå. Measurements were taken with an SMPS 3938 during a one-week period in the heating and nonheating seasons. Large differences in ventilation between buildings appeared, despite the fact that similar MVHR ventilation systems were used, and most of them were equipped with F7 filters. The NP concentrations and the simultaneous ventilation flows were measured in buildings with a variable and a more constant ventilation flow. In some cases, an increase in NP concentration could be seen after ventilation turn-on or after an increase in the ventilation flow. There was also one case where the NP concentrations increased in connection with the ventilation being switched off or reducing its flow. However, variable NP concentrations were also shown in buildings with a fairly constant ventilation flow, which was prominent for the two buildings located closest to busy streets. The correlation coefficients between the ventilation flow and particles in different size classes were in general smallest for particles in the smallest size classes, indicating higher filtration efficiency.

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Filtration Efficiency, Breathability, and Reusability of Improvised Materials for Face Masks

10.31224/osf.io/nrtgb ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Morteza H. Bagheri ◽

Iman Khalaji ◽

Arad Azizi ◽

Rebecca T. Loibl ◽

Scott Manzo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pressure Drop ◽

General Public ◽

Hospital Setting ◽

Healthcare Setting ◽

Cotton Fabrics ◽

Filtration Efficiency ◽

Filter Materials ◽

Risk Of Confusion ◽

Hvac Filters ◽

Materials Used

There is paucity of data on the performance of different improvised materials to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of this study is to evaluate the filtration efficiency and breathability of improvised filtration and commonly available mask materials, as well as to assess their reusability. Materials readily available to the general public such as cotton, fragrance and additive-free dry baby cleaning wipes, and those abundantly available in the hospital setting, such as sterilization wraps, were chosen for testing, amongst others. In the COVID-important 2–5 m particle range, two-layers of cotton provided filtration efficiency between 34%–66%. Amongst potential filter materials, 300-weight sterilization wraps provided approximately 80% filtration efficiency and are readily available in the healthcare setting. The addition of sterilization wrap to cotton fabrics brought the filtration efficiency to above that of the sterilization wrap (80%-90%) at the expense of added pressure drop. Four-layers of dry baby wipes performed very well with a filtration efficiency of 85% and a reasonable pressure drop (1/3 of procedure mask). Since the material is advertised as pure spunlace polypropylene and designed to contact the skin during cleaning, it would appear generally safe as a filter insert. Of improvised filters, polypropylene electrostatic HVAC filters performed the best with filtration efficiencies of >99%, but are not recommended due to the risk of confusion with glass-based HVAC filters and uncertainty regarding trace materials used in the filter. The filtration efficiency of two-layers of cotton fabrics with one-layer of sterilization wrap slightly improved over 10 laundry cycles, while the performance of other non-wovens, like dry baby wipes, degraded more rapidly and should be considered disposable. In summary, we found that a two-layer cotton fabric can provide a comfortable, breathable and reusable option. The addition of a sterilization wrap or four-layers of pure spunlace fragrance free dry baby wipes can significantly improve filtration and block expiratory aerosols at the expense of an added pressure drop.

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Bacteriological aspects of air-conditioning plants

Epidemiology and Infection ◽

10.1017/s002217240002831x ◽

1968 ◽

Vol 66 (4) ◽

pp. 567-584 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

W. Whyte

Keyword(s):

Air Conditioning ◽

Ventilation System ◽

Free Water ◽

Filtration Efficiency ◽

Bacterial Concentration ◽

Critical Areas ◽

Critical Zones ◽

Micro Organisms ◽

Number Of Bacteria ◽

Fair Degree

An investigation was carried out into the bacteriological performance of three air-conditioning plants in a hospital ward. Two of these plants had the facility for recirculating part of the ward air.An equation has been derived comparing the concentration of bacteria which would be expected to be given off by the humidifiers in the ventilation system, with the concentration of bacteria in the recirculatory tank. The bacterial particles given off by these humidifiers were of nuclei droplet size, and were found to penetrate the filters used with a fair degree of ease. Although the number of bacteria in the humidifier water remained insignificant with a constant overflow of water into the recirculatory tank, on one occasion a build-up of bacteria was demonstrated when the overflow ceased. For hospital use humidifiers of a non-recirculatory type should be used.The concentration of bacteria on the surface of the recirculatory ducts was assessed, as also were those on the surface of the supply ducts under full fresh air and recirculation. The concentration of bacteria in the supply ducts was low and the use of terminal filters was not merited, although care should be taken to prevent the build-up of bacteria in inlet grills and diffusers. The bacterial concentration in the exhaust ducts was found to be quite high. It was therefore thought that in critical areas, where the ventilation plant may be shut off, the use of some device to prevent reversed air flow may be necessary.The count of various types of micro-organisms in the fresh air and two-thirds recirculated air are given along with their size distribution. The results of the effect of filtration on the concentration of bacterial particles throughout the air-conditioning plant is given under full fresh air and recirculation. These concentrations appear quite satisfactory. It was found that one set of filters had been overgrown by mould because of free water being brought over from the humidifier. Measures have been suggested to overcome this. When primary or prefinal filtration was approximately 90% efficient to Aloxite 50 (B.S. 2831 Test Dust no. 2) it was demonstrated that a fair approximation to the final filtration figure could be obtained by reference to the quoted efficiency of the final filter to Aloxite 50. After similar primary filtration it was demonstrated that the final filtration of filters against recirculated and fresh air was approximately the same. Owing to the higher number ofStaph. aureusin recirculated air, higher efficiency filtration may be required.Standards of filtration efficiency for critical and non-critical zones are suggested.

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Review of the Radiation Damage Problem of Organic Specimens in Electron Microscopy

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100072824 ◽

1973 ◽

Vol 31 ◽

pp. 476-477

Author(s):

L. Reimer

Keyword(s):

Electron Microscopy ◽

Radiation Damage ◽

Irradiation Time ◽

Dose Effect ◽

Primary Process ◽

Thin Specimen ◽

Secondary Damage ◽

Small Doses ◽

Micro Organisms ◽

Damage Processes

Most information about a specimen is obtained by elastic scattering of electrons, but one cannot avoid inelastic scattering and therefore radiation damage by ionisation as a primary process of damage. This damage is a dose effect, being proportional to the product of lectron current density j and the irradiation time t in Coul.cm−2 as long as there is a negligible heating of the specimen.Therefore one has to determine the dose needed to produce secondary damage processes, which can be measured quantitatively by a chemical or physical effect in the thin specimen. The survival of micro-organisms or the decrease of photoconductivity and cathodoluminescence are such effects needing very small doses (see table).

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Functional amyloid: widespread in Nature, diverse in purpose

Essays in Biochemistry ◽

10.1042/bse0560207 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 56 ◽

pp. 207-219 ◽

Cited By ~ 77

Author(s):

Chi L.L. Pham ◽

Ann H. Kwan ◽

Margaret Sunde

Keyword(s):

Spider Silk ◽

Epigenetic Inheritance ◽

Fibrillar Structure ◽

Cytoplasmic Polyadenylation ◽

Functional Amyloid ◽

Interacting Protein ◽

Diverse Range ◽

Element Binding Protein ◽

Functional Amyloids ◽

Micro Organisms

Amyloids are insoluble fibrillar protein deposits with an underlying cross-β structure initially discovered in the context of human diseases. However, it is now clear that the same fibrillar structure is used by many organisms, from bacteria to humans, in order to achieve a diverse range of biological functions. These functions include structure and protection (e.g. curli and chorion proteins, and insect and spider silk proteins), aiding interface transitions and cell–cell recognition (e.g. chaplins, rodlins and hydrophobins), protein control and storage (e.g. Microcin E492, modulins and PMEL), and epigenetic inheritance and memory [e.g. Sup35, Ure2p, HET-s and CPEB (cytoplasmic polyadenylation element-binding protein)]. As more examples of functional amyloid come to light, the list of roles associated with functional amyloids has continued to expand. More recently, amyloids have also been implicated in signal transduction [e.g. RIP1/RIP3 (receptor-interacting protein)] and perhaps in host defence [e.g. aDrs (anionic dermaseptin) peptide]. The present chapter discusses in detail functional amyloids that are used in Nature by micro-organisms, non-mammalian animals and mammals, including the biological roles that they play, their molecular composition and how they assemble, as well as the coping strategies that organisms have evolved to avoid the potential toxicity of functional amyloid.

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