Impacts of gaps below both door and partition walls of cubicles on odorous gas transport and respiratory infection in a public lavatory

Abstract

Odorous gas transport and respiratory infection in a public lavatory are highly subject to the adopted ventilation system. The gaps below both the cubicle door and the partition walls can affect the ventilation performance. This study employed a validated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) program to investigate a public lavatory containing four cubicles with squat toilets. The airflow, concentrations of hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptan, and respiratory infection risk during use of the toilet were modeled. Odorous gases were released from the squat pan, while the pathogens resulting in respiratory infection were released by the exhalation of the toilet users. A total of seven different gap designs were considered, including designs without any gap, with a gap below only the cubicle door in three different gap heights, and gaps in three different heights below both the door and the partition walls. In addition, the use of a single central air exhaust and the use of multiple air exhausts were compared. The results revealed that the air from the gap below each cubicle door can effectively dilute the odorous gases released from the squat pan, whereas the gap below the partition walls was not shown to be favorable. The use of multiple air exhausts restrains the pollutant's spread and reduces the respiratory infection risk.