Air purifiers could help SPREAD Covid-19 in confined spaces, study claims
- Study shows that air purifiers help move Covid-19 germs around in confined spaces
- Devices are installed to clean air in small areas where people congregate, such as elevators
- Scientists say that cleansers can increase the spread of drops if someone coughs
Air purifiers can help spread Covid-19 in confined spaces such as elevators, a leading study has claimed.
The quality of air in small areas without proper ventilation usually requires a cleaner to kill viruses and bacteria, but there is currently no evidence that coronavirus is removed.
Scientists at the University of Nicosia in Cyprus have conducted a study to see what would happen if someone coughed in a pressure cage.
Professor Dimitris Drikakis said: “Our results show that installing an air purifier can increase droplet distribution.”
A 3D model created by scientists shows how air-conditioning systems in elevators can disperse the Covid-19 germs released after an infected person coughs.
The study claims that devices increase the transmission rate by moving particles loaded with the virus.
Air quality in small spaces will decline rapidly without proper ventilation.
Most modern elevators are therefore equipped with air purifiers to remove floating pollution.
The machines use ultraviolet radiation to kill viruses and bacteria, which can be harmful.
The model created an elevator that would accommodate about five people, and scientists concluded: “Installing an air purifier can increase droplet distribution.”
Scientists from the University of Nicosia say elevators should have a lower capacity to minimize the risk of Covid-19 spreading.
But sucking in dirty air and blowing out clean air contributes to ‘overall circulation’, a problem that has not been considered until now.
A 3D model of an elevator that can accommodate five people was created by the researchers.
Ventilation and a cleaner were added to the elevator so that the researchers could determine how it affected air circulation.
A soft cough was then simulated in space to measure the spread of saliva droplets with viruses.
Using the same model, previous studies have found that saliva droplets can move 18 feet within five seconds as an unmasked cough.
The chances of catching the virus were minimal when ventilation decreased, the researchers found.
Prof Drikakis added: “We have quantified the effect of air circulation on the transmission of viruses in the air and have shown that the installation of an air purifier inside an elevator significantly changes the air circulation, but that the air transmission is not eliminated.”
People in the UK have been told to stay home since the government declared a national exclusion 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 the installation of an air purifier can increase the droplet distribution.
Most modern elevators are equipped with air purifiers to remove any floating contaminants. Footage from the study shows how particles move in the ‘lift’ and possibly come into contact with people on board
The more people in the elevator are infected with COVID-19, the more damage an air purifier causes, the researchers also found
“The air inlet integrated in the purification device causes flow of circulation which can contribute to the transport of contaminated saliva droplets in the cabin.”
The more people in the elevator are infected with COVID-19, the more damage an air purifier causes, the researchers also found.
Professor Drikakis added: ‘Limiting the number of people allowed in an elevator will keep the spread of the virus to a minimum, as well as the design of air purifiers and ventilation systems.
The findings were published in the journal Physics of Fluids.
Last year a report of which? warned people that there was no evidence that domestic air purifiers remove 100 percent Covid particles from a room.
The watchdog said its effectiveness depends on factors including the size of the room and the type of filter used by the cleaner and its age.