Air purifiers could help EXTEND Covid-19 in confined spaces, study says
- Study shows air purifiers help move Covid-19 germs in tight spaces
- Devices are installed to clean the air in small areas where people gather, such as elevators
- Scientists say purifiers can “increase the spread of drops” if someone coughs
Air purifiers could help spread the Covid-19 in tight spaces, such as elevators, according to a leading study.
Air quality in small areas without proper ventilation usually requires a purifier to help kill viruses and bacteria, but there is no proven system to eliminate the coronavirus at this time.
Scientists at the University of Nicosia, Cyprus, conducted a study to see what would happen if a person coughed in a crowded elevator.
Professor Dimitris Drikakis said: “Our results show that installing an air purifier can increase the spread of drops.”
A 3D model created by scientists shows how air purification systems in elevators can help spread Covid-19 germs released after an infected person coughs
The study claims that the devices increase the transmission speed by moving virus-loaded particles.
Air quality in confined spaces would decrease rapidly without adequate ventilation.
Therefore, most modern elevators are equipped with air purifiers to remove any floating pollutants.
Machines use ultraviolet radiation to kill viruses and bacteria, which can be harmful.
The model created an elevator that seats about five people, and the scientists concluded, “Installing an air purifier can increase the distribution of the drops.”
Scientists at the University of Nicosia say elevators should run at a lower capacity to minimize the risk of Covid-19 spread
But vacuuming dirty air and blowing clean air adds to the “general circulation,” a problem that had not been raised so far.
The researchers created a 3D model of an elevator capable of accommodating five people.
Ventilation and a purifier were added to the elevator so that researchers could determine how they influenced air circulation.
A gentle cough was then simulated in space to measure the spread of virus-infected saliva droplets.
Using the same model, previous studies have found that saliva drops can travel 18 feet in five seconds when a person without a mask coughs.
The researchers found that the chances of catching the virus were lower when the space had reduced ventilation.
Professor Drikakis added: “We quantified the effect of air circulation on the transmission of airborne viruses and showed that installing an air purifier inside an elevator significantly alters air circulation but not eliminates airborne transmission “.
People in the UK have been told to stay home since the government declared a national closure in early January.
But for those who still go to the office or live in an apartment block, taking the elevator can be part of their daily routine.
Professor Drikakis said: “Our results show that installing an air purifier can increase the spread of drops.
Most modern elevators are equipped with air purifiers to remove any floating pollutants. The images in the study show how the particles move around the elevator and can come into contact with the people on board.
The more people inside the elevator are infected with COVID-19, the more damage an air purifier will cause, the researchers also found
“The air intake integrated inside the purification equipment induces a flow circulation that can be added to the transport of contaminated saliva drops in the cabin.”
The more people inside the elevator are infected with COVID-19, the more damage an air purifier causes, the researchers also found.
Professor Drikakis added: “Restricting the number of people allowed in an elevator would minimize the spread of the virus, as would better design of air purification and ventilation systems.”
The findings were published in the journal Physics of Fluids.
Last year a report from Which? warned people that household air purifiers have not been shown to remove 100% of Covid particles from a room.
The watchdog said its effectiveness depended on factors such as the size of the room and the type of filter used by the purifier and its age.