Airborne transmission of biological agents within the indoor built environment: a multidisciplinary review

Argyropoulos, Christos D.; Skoulou, Vasiliki; Efthimiou, Georgios; Michopoulos, Apostolos

doi:10.1007/s11869-022-01286-w

Cited by 8 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 495 publications

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“…Release, circulation, and dispersion of harmful or potentially harmful biological agents within confined indoor spaces are considered a severe threat to public health. Therefore, there is a continuous effort to prevent or control their release [8]. Most people work in densely populated environments, increasing their exposure to many pathogens [9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

UVC-Mirror for effective pathogens inactivation in air ducts

Treccani,

Rovetta,

Zanetti

et al. 2024

E3S Web Conf.

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Improving the air quality of indoor environments (IAQ) is of utmost importance to safeguard public health as people spend about 80–90% of their time indoor. Efficient Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) system represents a strategic and sustainable solution to protect from recurrent and new airborne pathogens. Here, we present a new approach to design highly efficient UVGI systems, which can be installed in existing Air Treatment Units (ATU) plants with minimal effort. The increased efficiency relies on the concept of an optical cavity, thanks to its shape and source position. The internal volume consists of a highly reflective cavity illuminated with UV-C lamps. Optical simulations permitted the variation of the parameters to maximize the internal irradiance and, thus, the performance. The sanitation efficacy of the system was assessed on a full-scale pilot system. Tests were carried out under normal operating conditions against various microorganisms showed an inactivation rate of > 99%. The benefits of such systems are triple and encompass economic, environmental, and societal aspects. Since the system requires little energy to operate, its application for air disinfection may yield significant energy savings and ensure a balance between energy sustainability and good IAQ.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

UVC-Mirror for effective pathogens inactivation in air ducts

Treccani,

Rovetta,

Zanetti

et al. 2024

E3S Web Conf.

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“…Ventilated with air that, depending on environmental conditions, may contain dust particles, noxious gases, allergens and pathogenic microbial agents, the lung is a notable organ across which various disease‐causing agents and injurious substances enter the body (Reese, Dalamani & Kaspers, 2006; Brown, Brain & Wang, 1997; Fedde, 1998; Wilson et al ., 2015; Lee et al ., 2021; Hajirasouliha & Zabiegaj, 2021; Argyropoulos et al ., 2022). In a 24‐h period, a moderately active human breathes ~20,000 l of air (Burri, 1985; Pérez et al ., 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A critical assessment of the cellular defences of the avian respiratory system: are birds in general and poultry in particular relatively more susceptible to pulmonary infections/afflictions?

Maina

2023

Biological Reviews

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In commercial poultry farming, respiratory diseases cause high morbidities and mortalities, begetting colossal economic losses. Without empirical evidence, early observations led to the supposition that birds in general, and poultry in particular, have weak innate and adaptive pulmonary defences and are therefore highly susceptible to injury by pathogens. Recent findings have, however, shown that birds possess notably efficient pulmonary defences that include: (i) a structurally complex three‐tiered airway arrangement with aerodynamically intricate air‐flow dynamics that provide efficient filtration of inhaled air; (ii) a specialised airway mucosal lining that comprises air‐filtering (ciliated) cells and various resident phagocytic cells such as surface and tissue macrophages, dendritic cells and lymphocytes; (iii) an exceptionally efficient mucociliary escalator system that efficiently removes trapped foreign agents; (iv) phagocytotic atrial and infundibular epithelial cells; (v) phagocytically competent surface macrophages that destroy pathogens and injurious particulates; (vi) pulmonary intravascular macrophages that protect the lung from the vascular side; and (vii) proficiently phagocytic pulmonary extravasated erythrocytes. Additionally, the avian respiratory system rapidly translocates phagocytic cells onto the respiratory surface, ostensibly from the subepithelial space and the circulatory system: the mobilised cells complement the surface macrophages in destroying foreign agents. Further studies are needed to determine whether the posited weak defence of the avian respiratory system is a global avian feature or is exclusive to poultry. This review argues that any inadequacies of pulmonary defences in poultry may have derived from exacting genetic manipulation(s) for traits such as rapid weight gain from efficient conversion of food into meat and eggs and the harsh environmental conditions and severe husbandry operations in modern poultry farming. To reduce pulmonary diseases and their severity, greater effort must be directed at establishment of optimal poultry housing conditions and use of more humane husbandry practices.

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“…This interest is driven by the realization that airborne microbes can influence atmospheric processes [ 1 , 12 ]. Furthermore, the study of these organisms in indoor environments, where a significant portion of human life unfolds [ 13 , 14 ], is gaining prominence, given the potential health implications.…”

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confidence: 99%