Contact
Dr. Gregory Lecrivain
Head Particle dynamics
Fluid Dynamics Resource technology Processes
g.lecrivain
hzdr.de
Phone: +49 351 260 3768
Dr. Philipp Wiedemann
p.wiedemannhzdr.de
Phone: +49 351 260 2467
Marco Alejandro Cavagnola
m.cavagnolahzdr.de
Phone: +49 351 260 3928
Air cleaning technologies for pathogen inactivation and bioaerosols spread
Motivations
Airborne transmission of pathogens became known to a wider public in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. To enhance preparedness for future global health threats, it is essential to develop efficient air cleaning technologies for inactivating pathogenic aerosol particles. Additionally, new measurement techniques are needed to assess aerosol propagation in closed spaces.
Modeling and Simulation of UV-based pathogen inactivation in aerosol streams
Disinfection by using UV-light has proven to be an effective way of rendering microorganisms inactive. From the engineering point of view, the use of mathematical models for the prediction of disinfection efficiency is highly important as the alternative, performing experiments to evaluate UV-light devices, is complex and expensive due to the bio-safety regulations that are involved. At HZDR we have developed a model that allows to perform computational experiments with a high degree of accuracy so that it can be used as a tool for designing and assessing UV-light devices in different flow scenarios.
The model allows the fast, accurate and affordable prediction of deactivation rate in UV light-based systems. It can be used for improvement of available systems or design of new products. The software is easy to use without expensive lab tests and can be adapted in a flexible way to different product constructions. The tool is not limited to CORONA viruses. Simulations with many viruses and bacteria listed in the literature database are possible. Simultaneous inactivation of multiple pathogens can be simulated.
Figure 1: UV inactivation in a pipe flow.
Development of a methodology for measuring the inhalation dose of aerosols in closed spaces.
The establishment of inhaled aerosols plays a significant role in risk assessment regarding air pollution and spreading of diseases. It is also of importance for evaluating the effectiveness of inhaled drug delivery systems. We have developed an experimental methodology to assess the aerosol inhalation of people near an aerosol source by performing aerosols propagation experiments. The novelty of this methodology lies in the fact that real people take place in the experiment and hence, the breathing cycle is not simulated by any mechanical mean. The methodology poses no risks to human health and can be applied in real life scenarios and not only in a controlled setup.
This procedure can be applied in various scenarios with different indoor airflow conditions and is not limited to laboratory settings. Experiments can be conducted in environments such as classrooms, offices, and other indoor spaces.
Figure 2: Experimental setup in the demonstrator room.
Funding
Supported by the Initiative and Networking Fund of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres (HGF) under the CORAERO project (KA1-Co-06).
Publications
Cavagnola, M. A., Papapetrou, T. N., Hampel, U., & Lecrivain, G. (2025). Kinetic Monte Carlo photonic model for simulating UV inactivation of airborne microorganisms. Submitted for publication.
Cavagnola, M. A., Eßlinger, F., Hampel, U., Ebert, G., & Lecrivain, G. (2023). Photonic model for airborne virus and bacteria inactivation by UV radiation. DECHEMA 2023 / Aerosoltechnik, Paderborn University, Germany.
Cavagnola, M. A., Aldnifat, A., Kryk, H., Hampel, U., & Lecrivain, G. (2024) An experimental quantification analysis of aerosol inhalation by real people in dynamic scenarios. 1st European Fluid Dynamics Conference, Aachen, Germany.
