A Comparison between Temperature-Controlled Laminar Airflow Device and a Room Air-Cleaner in Reducing Exposure to Particles While Asleep

Michal Spilak, Torben Sigsgaard, Hisamitsu Takai, Guoqiang Zhang

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

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    Abstract

    People spend approximately one third of their life sleeping. Exposure to pollutants in the
    sleep environment often leads to a variety of adverse health effects, such as development
    and exacerbation of asthma. Avoiding exposure to these pollutants by providing a sufficient
    air quality in the sleep environment might be a feasible method to alleviate these health
    symptoms.
    We performed full-scale laboratory measurements using a thermal manikin positioned on
    an experimental bed. Three ventilation settings were tested: with no filtration system operated,
    use of portable air cleaner and use of a temperature-controlled laminar airflow (TLA)
    device. The first part of the experiment investigated the air-flow characteristics in the breathing
    zone. In the second part, particle removal efficiency was estimated. Measured in the
    breathing zone, the room air cleaner demonstrated high turbulence intensity, high velocity
    and turbulence diffusivity level, with a particle reduction rate of 52% compared to baseline
    after 30 minutes. The TLA device delivered a laminar airflow to the breathing zone with a
    reduction rate of 99.5%. During a periodical duvet lifting mimicking a subject's movement in
    bed, the particle concentration was significantly lower with the TLA device compared to the
    room air cleaner. The TLA device provided a barrier which significantly reduced the introduction
    of airborne particles into the breathing zone. Further studies should be conducted for
    the understanding of the transport of resuspended particles between the duvet and the lay
    Original languageDanish
    Article numbere0166882
    JournalP L o S One
    Volume11
    Issue number11
    Pages (from-to)1-20
    Number of pages20
    ISSN1932-6203
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 29 Nov 2016

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