Aerosol particle emission increases exponentially above moderate exercise intensity resulting in superemission during maximal exercise

SignificanceAirborne transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or other pathogens is probably increased during indoor exercise, but data on the emission of aerosol particles by an exercising individual are lacking. Here, we report that aerosol particle emission inc...

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Published in:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 2022-05, Vol.119 (22), p.e2202521119-e2202521119
Main Authors: Mutsch, Benedikt, Heiber, Marie, Grätz, Felix, Hain, Rainer, Schönfelder, Martin, Kaps, Stephanie, Schranner, Daniela, Kähler, Christian J, Wackerhage, Henning
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aerosols
Air Movements
Air pollution
Biological Sciences
Coronaviruses
COVID-19 - prevention & control
Emission analysis
Emissions
Exercise
Exercise intensity
Expired air
Gender aspects
Humans
Mechanical ventilation
Particle emission
Physical Sciences
Respiration
SARS-CoV-2
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Sex differences
Ventilation
Viral diseases
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Summary:SignificanceAirborne transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or other pathogens is probably increased during indoor exercise, but data on the emission of aerosol particles by an exercising individual are lacking. Here, we report that aerosol particle emission increases on average 132-fold from 580 ± 489 particles/min at rest to 76,200 ± 48,000 particles/min during maximal exercise. Aerosol particle emission increases moderately up to an exercise intensity of ≈2 W/kg and exponentially at higher exercise intensities. These data not only explain SARS-CoV-2 transmissions during indoor group exercise but also can be used to design better targeted mitigation measures for physical activity indoors such as physical education in school, dance events during weddings, or high-intensity gym classes such as spinning.
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.2202521119