Particle movement in buildings (IMAGE)

DOE/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Particle movement in buildings

Caption

When the infected person in the office to the left coughs, respiratory droplets containing viral particles exit via the office's vent in the ceiling. Some droplets exit the building, while some are sent back into the building and into multiple rooms through the air-handling unit. A PNNL team found that a high ventilation rate can increase viral particle levels downstream of a source room.

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Illustration/Animation: Cortland Johnson/Sara Levine, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

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