Abstract
Infectious diseases caused by airborne bacteria and viruses are a major problem for both social and economic reasons. The significance of this phenomenon is particularly noticeable during the time of the coronavirus pandemic. One of the consequences is the increased interest in the air purifier (AP) market, which resulted in a significant increase in sales of these devices. In this study, we tested the efficiency of APs in removing bacterial air contamination in the educational context in the Upper Silesia region of Poland during the “cold season” of 2018/2019. During the 6 months of measuring microbiological air quality, an 18% decrease in the concentration of microbiological pollutants as a result of the action of the APs was recorded. Additionally, the results of the particle size distribution of the bacterial aerosols showed a reduction in the share of the respirable fraction (particles with an aerodynamic diameter below 3.3 µm) by an average of 20%. The dominance of gram-positive cocci in the indoor environment indicates that humans are the main source of most of the bacteria present in the building. We conclude that the use of APs may significantly decrease the level of concentration of microbiological air pollutants and reduce the negative health effects of indoor bioaerosols; however, further work that documents this phenomenon is needed.
Highlights
People spend about 80–95% of their lives in indoor spaces and breathe in around 10 m3 of air every day (Lee and Chang, 1986; Dacarro et al, 2003; Tringe et al, 2008)
The highest value of bacterial aerosols was detected in November (2257 CFU/ m3) when AP Was Off (APO)
While AP Was Active (APA), the maximum value of bacterial aerosols was found in November, but it was 1.3 times lower (1675 CFU/m3) than the highest observed APO value
Summary
People spend about 80–95% of their lives in indoor spaces and breathe in around 10 m3 of air every day (Lee and Chang, 1986; Dacarro et al, 2003; Tringe et al, 2008). The increased susceptibility of children to air pollution is associated with their much more varied activity during the day, the fact that they inhale a greater volume of air in relation to their body size and the incomplete maturity of their immune systems (Branco et al, 2014; WHO, 2018). Air quality in indoor environments, such as nurseries, where children stay for up to 40 h per week, is important because children are a key vulnerable group and may be exposed to lung damage and infections associated with poor indoor air quality (IAQ) (Bragoszewska et al, 2018a; Oliveira et al, 2019; Chegini et al, 2020)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
