On the Optimal Indoor Air Conditions for SARS-CoV-2 Inactivation. An Enthalpy-Based Approach

Angelo Spena, Leonardo Palombi, Massimo Corcione, Mariachiara Carestia and Vincenzo Andrea Spena
Additional contact information
Angelo Spena: Department of Enterprise Engineering, Tor Vergata University of Rome, 00133 Rome, Italy
Leonardo Palombi: Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University of Rome, 00133 Rome, Italy
Massimo Corcione: Department of Astronautical, Electrical and Energy Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, 00184 Rome, Italy
Mariachiara Carestia: Department of Industrial Engineering, Tor Vergata University of Rome, 00133 Rome, Italy
Vincenzo Andrea Spena: Department of Astronautical, Electrical and Energy Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, 00184 Rome, Italy

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 17, 1-15

Abstract: In the CoViD-19 pandemic, the precautionary approach suggests that all possible measures should be established and implemented to avoid contagion, including through aerosols. For indoor spaces, the virulence of SARS-CoV-2 could be mitigated not only via air changes, but also by heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems maintaining thermodynamic conditions possibly adverse to the virus. However, data available in literature on virus survival were never treated aiming to this. In fact, based on comparisons in terms of specific enthalpy, a domain of indoor comfort conditions between 50 and 60 kJ/kg is found to comply with this objective, and an easy-to-use relationship for setting viable pairs of humidity and temperature using a proper HVAC plant is proposed. If confirmed via further investigations on this research path, these findings could open interesting scenarios on the use of indoor spaces during the pandemic.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; CoViD-19 pandemic; indoor air quality; specific enthalpy of moist air; HVAC systems setting (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/17/6083/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/17/6083/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:17:p:6083-:d:402072

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().