Respirable Droplets from Whirlpools: Measurements of Size Distribution and Estimation of Disease Potential

Details

• Personal Author:
  Baron, Paul A. ; Willeke K
• Description:
  Droplets generated from water surfaces have been implicated in a number of diseases such as Legionnaires' disease and Pontiac fever. These droplets can be inhaled by people and can deposit in the respiratory system. The physical size of the droplets is critical in determining whether the droplets can contain the bacteria, reach the breathing zone of the subject, and deposit in the respiratory tract. The present study establishes the presence of water droplets above the surface of health club whirlpools. These droplets are of the appropriate size for causing respiratory disease. Several factors including pool temperature, bubbling action during operation, and height above the water surface have been investigated. The results are related to the deposition of the droplets, and hence bacteria, in the various regions of the respiratory tract. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aerosols Air Pollutants, Occupational Communicable Diseases Occupational Health Particulate Matter Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety
• Keywords:
  Aerosol Particles Aerosol Scrubbers Airborne Particles Bacteria Bacterial Disease Infectious Diseases Inhalation Particle Size Particulates Respiratory Diseases
• ISSN:
  0013-9351
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DPSE - Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  8-18
• Volume:
  39
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20060328
• Citation:
  Environ Res 1986 Feb; 39(1):8-18
• Contact Point Address:
  Paul A. Baron, Mail Stop R-8, Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering, NIOSH, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45226
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1986
• Performing Organization:
  University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  19810701
• Source Full Name:
  Environmental Research
• End Date:
  19920831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:5a1d0beaae94efd972e3f6b9de43ddeb9128b2603ceedfc0ba493acfffc56008e6823f756136663482382e6ce5ab6c004a390fe99a7e462c572aca1c46a50716
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/224270/cdc_224270_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 691.30 KB ]