Modeling Clothing as a Vector for Transporting Airborne Particles and Pathogens across Indoor Microenvironments

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Infectious Disease Transmission
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Airborne contaminants, including respiratory pathogens, can persist beyond immediate microenvironments.
• Clothing may act as a vector for contaminant transport and secondary exposure.
• Understanding clothing's role in pathogen dissemination is crucial for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential for clothing to serve as a transport vector for viable SARS-CoV-2.
• To model secondary exposure risks associated with contaminated clothing in non-healthcare settings.
• To quantify viral load on clothing and assess secondary inhalation exposure.

Main Methods:

• Development of a novel microenvironmental exposure modeling framework (ABICAM).
• Application of the framework to a para-occupational scenario involving SARS-CoV-2 deposition on clothing.
• Utilizing Monte Carlo simulations to assess variability in exposure.

Main Results:

• Significant infectious particle volume (4800 μm³) deposited on clothing post-work, representing 61% of primary unmasked inhalation exposure.
• Rapid viral inactivation (80% reduction) on cotton clothing during commute.
• Low secondary inhalation exposure after work, unless close proximity or physical contact occurred.

Conclusions:

• Clothing can accumulate and transport infectious respiratory particles, posing a potential secondary exposure risk.
• Viral inactivation on fabric reduces infectious load, but transmission via clothing remains theoretically possible.
• Primary workplace exposure significantly exceeds potential secondary exposure from contaminated clothing.