Mechanistic hypotheses about airborne infectious disease transmission have traditionally emphasized the role of coughing and sneezing, which are dramatic expiratory events that yield both easily visible droplets and large quantities of particles too small to see by eye. Nonetheless, it has long been known that normal speech also yields large quantities of particles that are too small to see by eye, but are large enough to carry a variety of communicable respiratory pathogens. Here we show that the rate of particle emission during normal human speech is positively correlated with the loudness (amplitude) of vocalization, ranging from approximately 1 to 50 particles per second (0.06 to 3 particles per cm3) for low to high amplitudes, regardless of the language spoken (English, Spanish, Mandarin, or Arabic). Furthermore, a small fraction of individuals behaves as “speech superemitters,” consistently releasing an order of magnitude more particles than their peers. Our data demonstrate that the phenomenon of speech superemission cannot be fully explained either by the phonic structures or the amplitude of the speech. These results suggest that other unknown physiological factors, varying dramatically among individuals, could affect the probability of respiratory infectious disease transmission, and also help explain the existence of superspreaders who are disproportionately responsible for outbreaks of airborne infectious disease.

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A multicomponent mole-fraction-based thermodynamic model is used to represent aqueous phase activities, equilibrium partial pressures (of H2O, HNO3, and NH3), and saturation with respect to solid phases (H2SO4 and HNO3 hydrates, (NH4)2SO4(cr), (NH4)3H(SO4)2(cr), NH4HSO4(cr), (NH4)2SO4·2NH4NO3(cr), (NH4)2SO4·3NH4NO3(cr), and NH4HSO4·NH4NO3 (cr)) in the system H+−NH4 +−SO4 2-−NO3 -−H2O. The model is valid from 328 to <200 K, dependent upon liquid-phase composition. Parameters for H2SO4−H2O, HNO3−H2O, and (NH4)2SO4−H2O interactions were adopted from previous studies, and values for NH4NO3−H2O obtained from vapor pressures (including data for supersaturated solutions), enthalpies, and heat capacities. Parameters for ternary interactions were determined from extensive literature data for salt solubilities, electromotive forces (emfs), and vapor pressures with an emphasis upon measurements of supersaturated H2SO4−(NH4)2SO4−H2O solutions. Comparisons suggest that the model satisfactorily represents partial pressures of both NH3 and H2SO4 above acidic sulfate mixtures in addition to that of HNO3, and salt solubilities and water activities.

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