The dimensions of skin fragments dispersed into the air during activity

Mackintosh, C.A.; Lidwell, O. M.; Towers, A. G.; Marples, R. R.

doi:10.1017/s0022172400025341

Cited by 65 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Mature skin cells (corneocytes) can become airborne by air moving across the skin surface [23] (see also electronic supplementary material, Particle Suspension Mechanisms); however, emissions over a short period of time can significantly increase with mechanical abrasion (e.g. rubbing of clothes or body parts [24]), physical activity [25,26] and/or washing [27]. Exfoliated skin cells in settled dust may become re-aerosolized by human (animal) activity [13,20,21] (see also electronic supplementary material, Particle Suspension Mechanisms).…”

Section: Estimating the Shedding Rate Of Foot And Mouth Disease Virusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Skin as a potential source of infectious foot and mouth disease aerosols

Dillon

2011

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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This review examines whether exfoliated, virus-infected animal skin cells could be an important source of infectious foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV) aerosols. Infectious material rafting on skin cell aerosols is an established means of transmitting other diseases. The evidence for a similar mechanism for FMDV is: (i) FMDV is trophic for animal skin and FMDV epidermis titres are high, even in macroscopically normal skin; (ii) estimates for FMDV skin cell aerosol emissions appear consistent with measured aerosol emission rates and are orders of magnitude larger than the minimum infectious dose; (iii) the timing of infectious FMDV aerosol emissions is consistent with the timing of high FMDV skin concentrations; (iv) measured FMDV aerosol sizes are consistent with skin cell aerosols; and (v) FMDV stability in natural aerosols is consistent with that expected for skin cell aerosols. While these findings support the hypothesis, this review is insufficient, in and of itself, to prove the hypothesis and specific follow-on experiments are proposed. If this hypothesis is validated, (i) new FMDV detection, management and decontamination approaches could be developed and (ii) the relevance of skin cells to the spread of viral disease may need to be reassessed as skin cells may protect viruses against otherwise adverse environmental conditions.

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Section: Estimating the Shedding Rate Of Foot And Mouth Disease Virusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Skin as a potential source of infectious foot and mouth disease aerosols

Dillon

2011

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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“…Microbes grow on skin, and the main source of airborne MCPs in occupied rooms are skin particles dispersed by people (Davis and Noble, 1962). Skin cells are about 44µm x 33µm in surface area, and about 3-5 µm thick, although they will fragment (McIntosh et al, 1978). Experiments have shown that the average equivalent diameter of MCPs in room air is about 12µm (Noble et al, 1963, Whyte, 1986and Whyte and Hejab, 2007.…”

Section: 1mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Microbes grow on skin, and a person sheds one layer of skin per day, which amounts to about 10 9 skin cells. Skin cells are about 44µm x 33µm in surface area, and 3-5 µm thick, although they will fragment (McIntosh et al, 1978). Experiments have shown that the average equivalent particle diameter of MCPs in the air of an occupied room is about 12 µm (Noble et al, 1963, Whyte, 1986Whyte and Hejab, 2007) with a deposition velocity owing to gravitational settling of 0.0046 m/s (Whyte, 1981;Whyte, 1986).…”

Section: A1 the Ventilation Equationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dispersion of Microbes from Floors when Walking in Ventilated Rooms

Whyte

Blake

Green

2013

International Journal of Ventilation

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The redispersion factor of microbe-carrying particles, which is the ratio of the concentration of floor-derived microbes in room air to those on a floor surface, was determined, as was the percentage of floor-derived microbes in room air. These relationships were shown to vary according to conditions in the room. Equations were derived that allow these relationships to be calculated for a variety of room conditions, including air supply rates, levels of personnel activity, and the effect of gravitational deposition on microbe-carrying particles.

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“…Staphylococcus aureus is about 0.9 µm (Kowalski et al, 1999), they are seldom found in a unicellular form in the air of occupied rooms, but carried on skin cells (Davies and Noble, 1962). People shed approximately 10 9 skin cells per day, the skin cells being about 33µm × 44 µm in surface area, and between 3µm and 5µm thick (McIntosh et al, 1978). A small but significant proportion of these skin cells carry skin microbes, and are found in the air with an average equivalent diameter of about 12µm (Noble et al, 1963;Whyte and Hejab, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Removal of Microbe-Carrying Particles by High Efficiency Air Filters in Cleanrooms

Whyte

Green

2012

International Journal of Ventilation

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The removal efficiency of high efficiency air filters against microbe-carrying particles (MCPs) in the air supply of occupied rooms, such as cleanrooms, was determined. Knowing the size distribution of MCPs in the air to be filtered, and the removal efficiency of a filter against individual particle diameters, the overall removal efficiency was ascertained. A variety of filters were investigated, and it was found that a filter 90% efficient, when tested against sub-micrometre particles used in standard classification methods such as EN 1822, was greater than 99.99% efficient in removing MCPs. The effect of filter efficiency on the quality of the air supply, and the concentration of MCPs in cleanroom air was also studied. No practical improvement in airborne concentrations was obtained by filters that had a removal efficiency greater than 99.99% against MCPs. Use of a filter suitable for removing MCPs, rather than sub-micrometre particles, would give a reduction of about 6 to 8-fold in the pressure drop over a filter, and a substantial reduction in the cost of running a cleanroom.

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The dimensions of skin fragments dispersed into the air during activity

Cited by 65 publications

References 11 publications

Skin as a potential source of infectious foot and mouth disease aerosols

Skin as a potential source of infectious foot and mouth disease aerosols

Dispersion of Microbes from Floors when Walking in Ventilated Rooms

Removal of Microbe-Carrying Particles by High Efficiency Air Filters in Cleanrooms

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