Multiple COVID-19 outbreaks in high-rise residential buildings have been linked to the vertical spread of the virus along the building. This study aimed to provide empirical evidence and experimental results to evaluate the effects of toilet ventilation on the spread of bathroom aerosols in high-rise residential buildings. This study explored potential transmission pathways by conducting tracer gas experiments in a full-scale mock-up toilet facility and identified effective strategies to minimize tracer gas surge and overall exposure. A novel IoT-enabled tracer gas sensing network was used to evaluate tracer gas dispersion from a lower-floor toilet to an upper-floor toilet and the roof under 32 different ventilation conditions of windows, exhaust fans, and forward-facing wind. The findings confirmed the potential for vertical airborne transmission through toilet ventilation and suggested effective ventilation strategies for forward-facing wind and no-wind conditions. This study provided novel experimental results on vertical aerosol transmission, contributing to further analysis and validation in this field. Appropriate ventilation measures were also discussed to ensure clean, virus-free air intake, reducing the risk of airborne cross-infection via the vertical transmission pathway.

中文翻译：

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通风对叠放厕所间空气传播的影响


高层住宅楼内多起 COVID-19 疫情的爆发与病毒沿建筑物的垂直传播有关。本研究旨在为评估高层住宅卫生间通风对浴室气溶胶传播的影响提供经验证据和实验结果。这项研究通过在全尺寸模拟厕所设施中进行示踪气体实验来探索潜在的传播途径，并确定了尽量减少示踪气体激增和总体暴露的有效策略。使用一种新型的支持物联网的示踪气体传感网络来评估在窗户、排气扇和前向风的 32 种不同通风条件下示踪气体从下层厕所到上层厕所和屋顶的扩散情况。研究结果证实了通过厕所通风进行垂直空气传播的可能性，并提出了针对前向风和无风条件的有效通风策略。该研究提供了垂直气溶胶传播的新颖实验结果，有助于该领域的进一步分析和验证。还讨论了适当的通风措施，以确保清洁、无病毒的空气吸入，降低通过垂直传播途径空气传播交叉感染的风险。