Wind velocity and dispersion/advection–diffusion of artificial droplets and droplet nuclei in a domed all-weather multi-purpose stadium

Abstract To evaluate the COVID-19 infection risk and the effectiveness of countermeasures at mass-gathering events, we measured the dispersion and advective diffusion of artificial droplets and artificial droplet nuclei at the Tokyo Dome, Japan (capacity 55,000 people). We also measured and evaluate...

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Main Authors: Naohide Shinohara, Noboru Kurihara, Wataru Naito, Aya Iwai, Tetsuo Yasutaka, Toshihiro Morioka, Toshiyuki Takatsuji, Masayuki Ogata, Koichi Tatsu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024-11-01
Series:Scientific Reports
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-76806-y
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author Naohide Shinohara
Noboru Kurihara
Wataru Naito
Aya Iwai
Tetsuo Yasutaka
Toshihiro Morioka
Toshiyuki Takatsuji
Masayuki Ogata
Koichi Tatsu
author_facet Naohide Shinohara
Noboru Kurihara
Wataru Naito
Aya Iwai
Tetsuo Yasutaka
Toshihiro Morioka
Toshiyuki Takatsuji
Masayuki Ogata
Koichi Tatsu
author_sort Naohide Shinohara
collection DOAJ
description Abstract To evaluate the COVID-19 infection risk and the effectiveness of countermeasures at mass-gathering events, we measured the dispersion and advective diffusion of artificial droplets and artificial droplet nuclei at the Tokyo Dome, Japan (capacity 55,000 people). We also measured and evaluated the effectiveness of wearing masks and increasing the space between seating areas. If people were seated facing forward, artificial droplets did not reach the mouths of surrounding people, suggesting low risk of droplet transmission. For an artificially generated cough or sneeze, the volume of droplets deposited on the hair, back of the neck, and back of the human in front, and the backs of the seats in front, decreased by two to three orders of magnitude when a mask was worn, regardless of the type of mask. However, when the mask was worn with the nose out, the amount deposited on the back of the seat in front was reduced by only 17%. Even in seats with the highest particle concentration in the vicinity of the source, only 0.097%–0.24% of the generated droplet nuclei (1.0–3.0 μm) from the source were inhaled. Our results suggest that the infection risk at the Tokyo Dome via droplet and airborne transmission was low.
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spelling doaj-art-22f3cfb38b5c46f1af788fc2a72e29c82025-08-20T02:13:27ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222024-11-0114111410.1038/s41598-024-76806-yWind velocity and dispersion/advection–diffusion of artificial droplets and droplet nuclei in a domed all-weather multi-purpose stadiumNaohide Shinohara0Noboru Kurihara1Wataru Naito2Aya Iwai3Tetsuo Yasutaka4Toshihiro Morioka5Toshiyuki Takatsuji6Masayuki Ogata7Koichi Tatsu8National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Research Institute of Science for Safety and Sustainability (RISS)National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ)National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Research Institute of Science for Safety and Sustainability (RISS)National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ)National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Geological survey of JapanNational Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ)National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ)Tokyo Metropolitan UniversityNational Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Research Institute of Science for Safety and Sustainability (RISS)Abstract To evaluate the COVID-19 infection risk and the effectiveness of countermeasures at mass-gathering events, we measured the dispersion and advective diffusion of artificial droplets and artificial droplet nuclei at the Tokyo Dome, Japan (capacity 55,000 people). We also measured and evaluated the effectiveness of wearing masks and increasing the space between seating areas. If people were seated facing forward, artificial droplets did not reach the mouths of surrounding people, suggesting low risk of droplet transmission. For an artificially generated cough or sneeze, the volume of droplets deposited on the hair, back of the neck, and back of the human in front, and the backs of the seats in front, decreased by two to three orders of magnitude when a mask was worn, regardless of the type of mask. However, when the mask was worn with the nose out, the amount deposited on the back of the seat in front was reduced by only 17%. Even in seats with the highest particle concentration in the vicinity of the source, only 0.097%–0.24% of the generated droplet nuclei (1.0–3.0 μm) from the source were inhaled. Our results suggest that the infection risk at the Tokyo Dome via droplet and airborne transmission was low.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-76806-yCoronavirus infection 2019 (COVID-19)Mass-gathering events (MGEs)Transmission riskInfection riskCough simulatorFace mask
spellingShingle Naohide Shinohara
Noboru Kurihara
Wataru Naito
Aya Iwai
Tetsuo Yasutaka
Toshihiro Morioka
Toshiyuki Takatsuji
Masayuki Ogata
Koichi Tatsu
Wind velocity and dispersion/advection–diffusion of artificial droplets and droplet nuclei in a domed all-weather multi-purpose stadium
Scientific Reports
Coronavirus infection 2019 (COVID-19)
Mass-gathering events (MGEs)
Transmission risk
Infection risk
Cough simulator
Face mask
title Wind velocity and dispersion/advection–diffusion of artificial droplets and droplet nuclei in a domed all-weather multi-purpose stadium
title_full Wind velocity and dispersion/advection–diffusion of artificial droplets and droplet nuclei in a domed all-weather multi-purpose stadium
title_fullStr Wind velocity and dispersion/advection–diffusion of artificial droplets and droplet nuclei in a domed all-weather multi-purpose stadium
title_full_unstemmed Wind velocity and dispersion/advection–diffusion of artificial droplets and droplet nuclei in a domed all-weather multi-purpose stadium
title_short Wind velocity and dispersion/advection–diffusion of artificial droplets and droplet nuclei in a domed all-weather multi-purpose stadium
title_sort wind velocity and dispersion advection diffusion of artificial droplets and droplet nuclei in a domed all weather multi purpose stadium
topic Coronavirus infection 2019 (COVID-19)
Mass-gathering events (MGEs)
Transmission risk
Infection risk
Cough simulator
Face mask
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-76806-y
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