Exposure at the indoor water–air interface: Fill water constituents and the consequent air emissions from ultrasonic humidifiers: A systematic review

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dc.contributor.authorDietrich, Andrea M.en
dc.contributor.authorYao, Wenchuoen
dc.contributor.authorGallagher, Daniel L.en
dc.date.accessioned2023-02-01T17:49:36Zen
dc.date.available2023-02-01T17:49:36Zen
dc.date.issued2022-11-01en
dc.date.updated2023-02-01T17:45:45Zen
dc.description.abstractThis systematic review investigates the emissions from ultrasonic humidifiers (e.g., cool mist humidifiers) within indoor air environments, namely soluble and insoluble metals and minerals as well as microorganisms and one organic chemical biocide. Relationships between ultrasonic humidifier fill water quality and the emissions in indoor air are studied, and associated potential adverse health outcomes are discussed. Literature from January 1, 1980, to February 1, 2022, was searched from online databases of PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus to produce 27 articles. The results revealed clear positive proportional relationships of the concentration of microorganisms and soluble metals/minerals between fill water qualities and emitted airborne particles, for both microbial (n = 9) and inorganic (n = 15) constituents. When evaluating emissions and the consequent health outcomes, ventilation rates of specific exposure scenarios affect the concentrations of emitted particles. Thus, well-ventilated rooms may alleviate inhalation risks when the fill water in ultrasonic humidifiers contains microorganisms and soluble metals/minerals. Case reports (n = 3) possibly due to the inhalation of particles from ultrasonic humidifier include hypersensitivity pneumonitis in adults and a 6-month infant; the young infant exhibited nonreversible mild obstructive ventilator defect. In summary, related literature indicated correlation between fill water quality of ultrasonic humidifier and emitted particles in air quality, and inhalation of the emitted particles may cause undesirable health outcomes of impaired respiratory functions in adults and children.en
dc.description.versionPublished versionen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1111/ina.13129en
dc.identifier.eissn1600-0668en
dc.identifier.issn0905-6947en
dc.identifier.issue11en
dc.identifier.orcidDietrich, Andrea [0000-0003-2679-7188]en
dc.identifier.orcidGallagher, Daniel [0000-0002-4729-3491]en
dc.identifier.pmid36437646en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/113614en
dc.identifier.volume32en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherWileyen
dc.relation.urihttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/36437646en
dc.rightsCreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 Internationalen
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/en
dc.subjectenvironmental healthen
dc.subjectindoor air qualityen
dc.subjectinhalation risken
dc.subjectrisk assessmenten
dc.subjectultrasonic humidifieren
dc.subjectwater qualityen
dc.subjectPediatricen
dc.subject.meshHumansen
dc.subject.meshMineralsen
dc.subject.meshAerosolsen
dc.subject.meshAir Pollution, Indooren
dc.subject.meshUltrasonicsen
dc.subject.meshChilden
dc.subject.meshInfanten
dc.subject.meshHumidifiersen
dc.titleExposure at the indoor water–air interface: Fill water constituents and the consequent air emissions from ultrasonic humidifiers: A systematic reviewen
dc.title.serialIndoor Airen
dc.typeArticle - Refereeden
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten
dc.type.otherJournalen
dcterms.dateAccepted2022-09-26en
pubs.organisational-group/Virginia Techen
pubs.organisational-group/Virginia Tech/Engineeringen
pubs.organisational-group/Virginia Tech/Engineering/Civil & Environmental Engineeringen
pubs.organisational-group/Virginia Tech/All T&R Facultyen
pubs.organisational-group/Virginia Tech/Engineering/COE T&R Facultyen

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