Indoor Air Quality Evaluation Using Mechanical Ventilation and Portable Air Purifiers in an Academic Dentistry Clinic during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Greece

Ioannis Tzoutzas, Helena C. Maltezou, Nikolaos Barmparesos, Panagiotis Tasios, Chrysanthi Efthymiou, Margarita Niki Assimakopoulos, Maria Tseroni, Rengina Vorou, Fotios Tzermpos, Maria Antoniadou, Vassilios Panis and Phoebus Madianos
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Ioannis Tzoutzas: School of Dentistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
Helena C. Maltezou: Directorate of Research, Studies, and Documentation, National Public Health Organization, 15123 Athens, Greece
Nikolaos Barmparesos: Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Physics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15772 Athens, Greece
Panagiotis Tasios: Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Physics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15772 Athens, Greece
Chrysanthi Efthymiou: Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Physics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15772 Athens, Greece
Margarita Niki Assimakopoulos: Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Physics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15772 Athens, Greece
Maria Tseroni: Directorate of Epidemiological Surveillance for Infectious Diseases, National Public Health Organization, 15123 Athens, Greece
Rengina Vorou: Directorate of Epidemiological Surveillance for Infectious Diseases, National Public Health Organization, 15123 Athens, Greece
Fotios Tzermpos: School of Dentistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
Maria Antoniadou: School of Dentistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
Vassilios Panis: School of Dentistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
Phoebus Madianos: School of Dentistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 16, 1-12

Abstract: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is mainly transmitted through droplets without overlooking other sources of transmission, rendered attention on the air quality in indoor areas and more specifically in healthcare settings. The improvement of indoor air quality (IAQ) is ensured by frequent changes of the air that must be carried out in healthcare areas and with assistance from special devices that undertake the filtration of the air and its purification through special filters and lamps. In this research, the performance of air purifiers is assessed in terms of the limitation of PM 2.5 , PM 10 , VOCs and CO 2 in a postgraduate clinic of the Dentistry School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens in parallel with mechanical ventilation. Our findings indicate that the use of mechanical ventilation plays a key role on the results, retaining good IAQ levels within the clinic and that air purifiers show a positive impact on IAQ by mainly reducing the levels of PM 2.5 and secondly of TVOC.

Keywords: dentistry school; COVID-19; indoor air quality; purifiers; ventilation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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