Evaluation of the protective performance of a positive pressure bio-protective clothing against viral aerosol / 中华预防医学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the protective performance of a positive pressure bio-protective clothing against viral aerosol.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The suspension of indicating virus phage Phi-X174 was made for viral aerosol generating in a hermetic cabin. The diameter of viral aerosol particles were measured with a aerodynamics size analyzer. By adjusting the inner humidity of the cabin, the protective efficiency of the positive pressure bio-protective clothing against viral aerosol in high and low windshield conditions was determined with Andersen six-stage air sampler sampling and plage forming unit (PFU) counting, respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The mass median diameter of Phage Phi-X174 aerosol particles was about 0.922 µm and the background concentration is beyond 2 × 10⁴ particles/m³. The protective efficiency of the clothing against phage Phi-X174 aerosol particles was above 99.9% under different test conditions with the range of viral aerosol concentration between 0 - 23 PFU/m³. Airflow (P = 0.84), environment humidity conditions (P = 0.33) and sampling time (P = 0.07) did not affect the protective efficiency statistically.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The positive pressure bio-protective clothing provided a relatively high efficiency against phage Phi-X174 aerosol regardless of airflow rate, environment humidity and sampling time.</p>