IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v17y2020i17p6083-d402072.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

On the Optimal Indoor Air Conditions for SARS-CoV-2 Inactivation. An Enthalpy-Based Approach

Author

Listed:
  • Angelo Spena

    (Department of Enterprise Engineering, Tor Vergata University of Rome, 00133 Rome, Italy)

  • Leonardo Palombi

    (Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University of Rome, 00133 Rome, Italy)

  • Massimo Corcione

    (Department of Astronautical, Electrical and Energy Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, 00184 Rome, Italy)

  • Mariachiara Carestia

    (Department of Industrial Engineering, Tor Vergata University of Rome, 00133 Rome, Italy)

  • Vincenzo Andrea Spena

    (Department of Astronautical, Electrical and Energy Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, 00184 Rome, Italy)

Abstract

In the CoViD-19 pandemic, the precautionary approach suggests that all possible measures should be established and implemented to avoid contagion, including through aerosols. For indoor spaces, the virulence of SARS-CoV-2 could be mitigated not only via air changes, but also by heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems maintaining thermodynamic conditions possibly adverse to the virus. However, data available in literature on virus survival were never treated aiming to this. In fact, based on comparisons in terms of specific enthalpy, a domain of indoor comfort conditions between 50 and 60 kJ/kg is found to comply with this objective, and an easy-to-use relationship for setting viable pairs of humidity and temperature using a proper HVAC plant is proposed. If confirmed via further investigations on this research path, these findings could open interesting scenarios on the use of indoor spaces during the pandemic.

Suggested Citation

  • Angelo Spena & Leonardo Palombi & Massimo Corcione & Mariachiara Carestia & Vincenzo Andrea Spena, 2020. "On the Optimal Indoor Air Conditions for SARS-CoV-2 Inactivation. An Enthalpy-Based Approach," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-15, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:17:p:6083-:d:402072
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/17/6083/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/17/6083/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Angelo Spena & Leonardo Palombi & Massimo Corcione & Alessandro Quintino & Mariachiara Carestia & Vincenzo Andrea Spena, 2020. "Predicting SARS-CoV-2 Weather-Induced Seasonal Virulence from Atmospheric Air Enthalpy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-14, December.
    2. Angelo Spena & Leonardo Palombi & Mariachiara Carestia & Vincenzo Andrea Spena & Francesco Biso, 2023. "SARS-CoV-2 Survival on Surfaces. Measurements Optimisation for an Enthalpy-Based Assessment of the Risk," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(12), pages 1-16, June.
    3. Marta Baselga & Juan J. Alba & Alberto J. Schuhmacher, 2022. "The Control of Metabolic CO 2 in Public Transport as a Strategy to Reduce the Transmission of Respiratory Infectious Diseases," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-19, May.
    4. Carlos C. Duarte & Nuno D. Cortiços, 2022. "The Energy Efficiency Post-COVID-19 in China’s Office Buildings," Clean Technol., MDPI, vol. 4(1), pages 1-60, March.
    5. Tareq Hussein & Jakob Löndahl & Sara Thuresson & Malin Alsved & Afnan Al-Hunaiti & Kalle Saksela & Hazem Aqel & Heikki Junninen & Alexander Mahura & Markku Kulmala, 2021. "Indoor Model Simulation for COVID-19 Transport and Exposure," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-16, March.
    6. Jos Lelieveld & Frank Helleis & Stephan Borrmann & Yafang Cheng & Frank Drewnick & Gerald Haug & Thomas Klimach & Jean Sciare & Hang Su & Ulrich Pöschl, 2020. "Model Calculations of Aerosol Transmission and Infection Risk of COVID-19 in Indoor Environments," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-18, November.
    7. Florentina Villanueva & Fátima Felgueiras & Alberto Notario & Beatriz Cabañas & Marta Fonseca Gabriel, 2024. "Indoor Environmental Quality and Effectiveness of Portable Air Cleaners in Reducing Levels of Airborne Particles during Schools’ Reopening in the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-19, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:17:p:6083-:d:402072. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.