Dino Pisaniello1
1Adelaide Exposure Science and Health, School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, South Australia 5005, dino.pisaniello@adelaide.edu.au
Exposure to infectious and non-infectious aerosols may lead to a range of adverse health outcomes. The origin of the aerosols may be outdoors or indoors from aerosol generating procedures, human emissions and unwanted indoor air chemical reactions. Clinical settings require special preventive arrangements, but these may be compromised in office-based practices, where traditional building ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) has been designed for thermal comfort and control of body odours rather than high efficiency particle filtration and disinfection.
The recognition that COVID-19 and other respiratory virus diseases can be transmitted by long range bioaerosol exposure has focussed attention on the role of enhanced HVAC in modifying risk. In addition, there is a new understanding of aerosol characteristics and control measures, emphasising the source-path-receiver paradigm. Interrupting the pathway by local exhaust ventilation and/or directed air flows is a key objective.
This presentation considers exposure scenarios such as podiatry and what ventilation can and can’t do in the context of overall risk management. The role and application of free standing and HVAC-integrated air purifiers and related systems will be highlighted. Finally, healthy building standards and verification systems will be described and a case example presented.