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Temperature and humidity impact on droplet dynamics and aerosol virus spreading: Insights from multicomponent evaporation model

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Temperature and humidity impact on droplet dynamics and aerosol virus spreading: Insights from multicomponent evaporation model
Authors: Jin Li, Yang Yang, Mingrui Zhang, Yuwen Wen, Yin Zhang
Source: Case Studies in Thermal Engineering, Vol 76, Iss , Pp 107356- (2025)
Publisher Information: Elsevier, 2025.
Publication Year: 2025
Collection: LCC:Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
Subject Terms: Indoor air quality, Droplet evaporation, Multicomponent model, Aerosol dynamics, Relative humidity, Temperature effects, Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General), TA1-2040
Description: Droplets are critical vectors for transmitting respiratory diseases indoors. The dispersion and survival of droplets generated by human respiratory activities are closely related to their evaporation characteristics, which are strongly influenced by environmental factors such as temperature and relative humidity (RH). This study employs an optimized multicomponent evaporation model, incorporating both the Kelvin effect and the solute effect, to investigate droplet evaporation times and equilibrium diameters under varying indoor environmental conditions. The findings demonstrate that the improved model more accurately predicts evaporation time and droplet nuclei sizes in realistic indoor scenarios. High relative humidity and low indoor temperature conditions prolong droplet evaporation, potentially extending viral survival. For example, droplets initially sized at 50 μm exhibited larger normalized equilibrium diameters at 90 % RH (0.44) compared to 50 % RH (0.366), and smaller droplets had lower final normalized diameters (de/d0). Additionally, increased initial droplet velocity accelerated evaporation. Based on these results, practical recommendations are proposed: Firstly, virus survival conditions are optimal shortly after droplet emission, necessitating immediate preventive measures such as social distancing and proper mask usage. Secondly, maintaining indoor environments at moderately high temperatures and medium humidity levels accelerates droplet evaporation, reducing virus viability, and thus lowering the risk of disease transmission and human exposure.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 2214-157X
Relation: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214157X25016168; https://doaj.org/toc/2214-157X
DOI: 10.1016/j.csite.2025.107356
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/0b129e1c59934cbc98849bae05a289bf
Accession Number: edsdoj.0b129e1c59934cbc98849bae05a289bf
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
Description
Abstract:Droplets are critical vectors for transmitting respiratory diseases indoors. The dispersion and survival of droplets generated by human respiratory activities are closely related to their evaporation characteristics, which are strongly influenced by environmental factors such as temperature and relative humidity (RH). This study employs an optimized multicomponent evaporation model, incorporating both the Kelvin effect and the solute effect, to investigate droplet evaporation times and equilibrium diameters under varying indoor environmental conditions. The findings demonstrate that the improved model more accurately predicts evaporation time and droplet nuclei sizes in realistic indoor scenarios. High relative humidity and low indoor temperature conditions prolong droplet evaporation, potentially extending viral survival. For example, droplets initially sized at 50 μm exhibited larger normalized equilibrium diameters at 90 % RH (0.44) compared to 50 % RH (0.366), and smaller droplets had lower final normalized diameters (de/d0). Additionally, increased initial droplet velocity accelerated evaporation. Based on these results, practical recommendations are proposed: Firstly, virus survival conditions are optimal shortly after droplet emission, necessitating immediate preventive measures such as social distancing and proper mask usage. Secondly, maintaining indoor environments at moderately high temperatures and medium humidity levels accelerates droplet evaporation, reducing virus viability, and thus lowering the risk of disease transmission and human exposure.
ISSN:2214157X
DOI:10.1016/j.csite.2025.107356