Use of Portable Air Cleaners Within an Ambulance Workspace

Details

• Personal Author:
  Banerjee RK ; Feng, H. Amy ; Hammond, Duane R. ; Mead, Kenneth R. ; Neu, Dylan T. ; Pena M
• Description:
  Emergency medical service (EMS) providers face significant exposure to infectious aerosols during outbreaks like the COVID-19 pandemic. Most ambulances lack ventilation controls to reduce EMS worker exposure to these aerosols. Ambulances are smaller than hospital rooms and handle numerous patients daily, increasing contact with potentially infectious individuals. Ventilation controls such as portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration can mitigate this risk. Few studies have assessed portable HEPA filters in ambulances. This study evaluated two HEPA filter models in an unoccupied, stationary research ambulance at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in Cincinnati. A tracer aerosol simulated patient aerosol generation, and optical particle counters (OPCs) measured aerosols. The HEPA units were tested individually, placed in the same location, and operated for 50 min. Results showed significant reductions in aerosol concentrations during the generation phase, with performance varying during the decay period. Overall, HEPA units reduced particle concentrations by around 50% during the generation phase and continued to be effective through the decay period. This demonstrates the potential of portable HEPA filters as an affordable and effective option for air cleaning in ambulance patient modules. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aerosols Automobiles Communicable Diseases Emergency Responders Occupational Health Safety Ventilation
• Keywords:
  Aerosol Particles Author Keywords: Ambulance Bioaerosol Bioaerosols Emergency Medical Services Workers EMS HEPA Filters HEPA Filtration High-efficiency Particulate Air Filters Infection Control Infectious Diseases Motor Vehicles

  More +
• ISSN:
  1545-9624
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Chicago Region [OSHA] ; Ohio
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DFSE - Division of Field Studies and Engineering
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20070856
• Citation:
  J Occup Environ Hyg 2025 Apr; :[Epub ahead of print]
• Contact Point Address:
  Dylan T. Neu, Division of Field Studies and Engineering, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1090 Tusculum Ave, MS-R5, Cincinnati, OH 45226.
• Email:
  DNeu@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2025
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:de72be1ad923b8152582780a6010aca1a3dfc9a928aeb1031fca51478322e06e52375edbde4355b5f960cfbc809db067908153caa38d676aacda2684311c90d1
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/208986/cdc_208986_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.00 MB ]