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  4. Particle release and transport from human skin and clothing: A CFD modeling methodology
 
research article

Particle release and transport from human skin and clothing: A CFD modeling methodology

Al Assaad, Douaa
•
Yang, Shen  
•
Licina, Dusan  
April 24, 2021
Indoor Air

Particle release from human skin and clothing has been identified as an important contributor to particulate matter burden indoors. However, knowledge about modeling the coarse particle release from skin and clothing is limited. This study developed a new empirically validated CFD modeling methodology for particle release and transport from seated occupants in an office setting. We tested three modeling approaches for particle emissions: Uniform; Uniform + Localized; and Uniform + Localized with Body Motion; applied to four office scenarios involving a single occupant and two occupants facing each other at 1- and 2-m distances. Uniform particle emissions from skin and clothing underpredicted personal inhalation exposure by as much as 55%-80%. Combining uniform with localized emissions from the armpits drastically reduced the error margin to <10%. However, this modeling approach heavily underestimated particle mass exchange (cross-contamination) between the occupants. Accounting for the occupant's body motion-by applying the momentum theory method-yielded the most accurate personal exposure and cross-contamination results, with errors below 12%. The study suggests that for accurate modeling of particle release and transport from seated occupants indoors, localized body emissions in combination with simplified bodily movements need to be taken into account.

  • Details
  • Metrics
Type
research article
DOI
10.1111/ina.12840
Web of Science ID

WOS:000643421500001

Author(s)
Al Assaad, Douaa
Yang, Shen  
Licina, Dusan  
Date Issued

2021-04-24

Publisher

WILEY

Published in
Indoor Air
Volume

31

Issue

5

Start page

1377

End page

1390

Subjects

Construction & Building Technology

•

Engineering, Environmental

•

Public, Environmental & Occupational Health

•

Engineering

•

cfd modeling

•

cross‐

•

contamination

•

human emissions

•

particulate matter

•

personal cloud effect

•

personal exposure

•

convective boundary-layer

•

lagrangian approach

•

turbulence models

•

body motion

•

ventilation

•

resuspension

•

air

•

deposition

Editorial or Peer reviewed

REVIEWED

Written at

EPFL

EPFL units
HOBEL  
Available on Infoscience
May 22, 2021
Use this identifier to reference this record
https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/178213
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