Indoor air quality impact on viral transmission
The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) has released a new report on the impact of indoor air quality on the transmission of airborne viral diseases in public buildings and strategies to reduce transmission.
The report was released at a webinar on Tuesday 6 August 2024, chaired by Australia's Chief Scientist, Dr Cathy Foley.
The impact of Indoor air quality on the transmission of airborne viral diseases in public buildings: a systematic review of evidence was commissioned through the Office of the Chief Scientist and prepared by the University of Wollongong Sustainable Buildings Research Centre.
Key findings:
- The transport of disease particles by indoor air is influenced by multiple factors, including ventilation.
- Transmission can occur at both short and long ranges, long-range airborne transmission has been verified by PCR air sampling, epidemiological analysis and genome sequencing.
- There are a range of indoor air quality strategies that could reduce the transmission of airborne viruses in indoor public environments by increasing the amount of clean air for building occupants, including:
- dilution of contaminated indoor air via ventilation with cleaner air through mechanical ventilation such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems
- air cleaning technologies such as high efficient particulate air (HEPA) cleaners
- air disinfection technologies such as ultraviolet-c light disinfection.
- However, there is not one discrete indoor air quality strategy that can be applied to all building types.
- The impact of indoor air quality strategies on the energy efficiency of buildings is dependent on several factors, including the type of intervention, the building size, building characteristics, hours of operation and climate.
Download the report:
The NSTC prepared advice to Government arising from the report's findings.
Download the advice to Government:
View the webinar: