Analysis of the Airborne Nano Particles Exposure in Interior Space Ventilation System

Image: Simulation study of air ventilation devices and opening types by Muhammad Golam Sami & Mahmuda Yasmin Dola

[ This is a summary of one of our publications from the research project " Post COVID Health Space Regeneration". We will share the link of the publication when it is live. We do not share any results and simulation approach here, as the publication is still not live. This is just a write-up regarding the publication summary. ]

Air filtering is currently widely used in interior space ventilation systems. The existence of excessive quantities of contaminants in the air, along with air pollution, has produced an unsettling scenario. This purifying system is also employed outside of the interior cooling system of a building [1]. In an interior setting, whether residential or commercial, a range of tiny particles have negative impacts on human health. Indoor areas employ several types of HEPA and chemical fiber air filters for this [2]. Indoor air quality is especially sensitive and critical in healthcare settings such as health centers, hospitals, and clinics. Pollution exposures in health facility interior spaces are more likely to impact the human respiratory system than in residential contexts due to the movement of these human masses. Because, in addition to regular PM exposure in health center space air, infection particle flow from various patients enhances this risk [3]. Controlled air filtration and ventilation systems are therefore critical in health interior environments. During COVID-19, filtering systems in the health interior space, as well as the COVID particles' impregnability and vulnerability, motivate and call into question the redesign and redistribution of our health interior systems. We demonstrated how perfectly different air filtration devices can filter air in this study. We also evaluated microdroplets from human-dispersed exposures in our research to see how and to what degree high and low PM 2.5 exposures are filtered. In our investigation, we exposed several forms of porous media, which are air filtration systems, to different sorts of particles with varying shapes, sizes, and features, using simulation in a virtual system, to demonstrate how these variances influence the indoor ventilation system. These comparison findings will assist us in redesigning and rebuilding the interior ventilation system. It also specifies the framework in which our air filtration systems operate, pointing the way forward in terms of filtration material selection and system development. We used Comsol Multiphysics for our virtual numerical simulation and customized a well-known air filter model released by Comsol. In addition, we created various models and did a comparative study to help us design not just air filtration but also the full interior ventilation system in a health center setting. This model will also demonstrate how filtering in any form of opening changes and improves air quality and natural flow. We used the physical aspect of turbulent flow in this case to determine how well the air filtering system can filter, by determining and analyzing the transport and deposition of these pollutant and biological particles, the amount of deposition on porous media has been used in the analysis of bidirectional coupling, which deals with turbulent flow studies including capture, transport, and adsorption [4][5][6][7]. These evaluations will subsequently help HVAC engineers, biomedical engineers, architects, and space designers improve human space air ventilation systems.

The research concluded as we may infer that it is critical to redesign the ventilation system for the health environment in the current contaminated biotic environment and airborne nanoparticle infection. High concentrations, high PM 2.5, and viral activity have traditionally overcome and rendered useless ceramic or carbon fiber air filtration devices, which are frequently employed in natural ventilation and HVAC systems. This module can ensure excellent airflow but fails to improve human health quality. As a result, the primary goal of this study article was to create an air ventilation system for the health center interior areas that would provide both good circulation and clean air. By clean air, we mean air that is devoid of contaminants and disease-causing particles. This article outlines a strategy for improving the systems in which we live in order to make them more effective and sustainable

[1] UNDI, G.S.N.V.K.S.N.S., 2021. Development of an Indoor Air Purification System to Improve Ventilation and Air Quality. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3895677

[2] Li, Y., Chai, P., Wang, Y., Cheng, Z., 2021. Assessment of Chemical Fiber Air Filter for General Ventilation. Atmosphere 12, 1636. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos12121636

[3] Maung, T.Z., Bishop, J.E., Holt, E., Turner, A.M., Pfrang, C., 2022. Indoor Air Pollution and the Health of Vulnerable Groups: A Systematic Review Focused on Particulate Matter (PM), Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), and Their Effects on Children and People with Pre-Existing Lung Disease. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19, 8752. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148752

[4] COMSOl Multiphysics, 2022. Air Filter: Free & Porus Media Flow | Application ID: 112451 | November 2022

[5] Zhang, C., Liu, X., Kang, N., Hou, X., Liao, W., Yuchi, Y., Ding, Z., Baheti, B., Chang, G., Mao, Z., Huo, W., Hou, J., Wang, C., 2022. Physical activity attenuates the association between household air pollution and health-related quality of life in Chinese rural population: the Henan Rural Cohort Study. Quality of Life Research 31, 3165–3175. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-022-03195-y

[6] Kim, Y.-S., Kim, H.-G., Kwac, L.-K., Ko, S.-C., 2023. A Study on the Improvement of Filter Performance to Remove Indoor Air Pollution. Applied Sciences 13, 2561. https://doi.org/10.3390/app13042561

[7] Design Strategies Health Systems Should Consider after COVID-19 [WWW Document], 2021. SmithGroup. URL https://www.smithgroup.com/perspectives/2021/design-strategies-healthsystems-should-consider-after-covid-19

Meet The AuthorS

Muhammad Golam Sami

B. Arch, Khulna University of Engineering & Technology, Khulna, Bangladesh Architect | Futurist | Sustainable Design Expert

Operational Head, ADORA Studios, Bangladesh

Founder, samism.org

Lecturer, Department of Architecture

Northern University of Business & Technology

Mahmuda Yasmin Dola

B. Arch, Khulna University of Engineering & Technology, Khulna, Bangladesh Architect | Analytical Practitioner

Head of Construction, ADORA Studios, Bangladesh

CMO & Head of Construction, SS Construction & Power Solution, Bangladesh

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Post-pandemic Hospital & Institutional Design: New Modern Medical College & 250 Bed Hospital, Khulna

The hospital, one of the riskiest areas of viral transmission and a backbone for pandemic curing needs to be redefined with new spatial principles. On the other hand, redesigning institutional programs and syntax will help us to better understand the relationship between public and private space according to proper health design requirements. According to WHO, environmental aspects are one of the vital reasons for the increasing percentage of curability of patients.

Image: Hospital and Medical College Design Project

Location: Chak Ashankhali, Khulna; Year: 2022