Susceptibility and exposure risk to airborne aerosols in intra-urban microclimate: Evidence from subway system of mega-cities

Abstract

The health of intra-urban population in modern megacities relies largely on the biosafety within the microclimate of subway system, which can be vulnerable to epidemical challenges brought by virus-laden bioaerosols under varying factors. The literature has yet to address the association between the exposure risks to infectious pathogens and the dynamic changes of boundary conditions in this densely populated microclimate. This study aims at characterizing the bioaerosol dispersion, evaluating the exposure risks under various train arrival scenarios and hazard releasing positions in a real-world double-decker subway station. The results provide the evidence for the dominating airflow pattern, bioaerosols dispersion behaviors, exposure risk, and evacuation guidance in a representative microclimate of mega-cities. The tunnel effects of nearby pedestrian passageways are found to be dominating the airflow pattern, leading to the discharging of airborne bioaerosols. At least 60 % increasing of discharging rate of bioaerosol is attributed to the arrival of one or two trains at the subway platform compared with the scenario with no train arriving. Results from risk assessment with improved Wells-Riley model estimate 57.62 % of maximum infectivity probability with no train arriving. Large areas near the source at the platform floor still cannot be considered safe within 20 min. For the other two scenarios where trains arrive at the platform, the maximum probability of infection is below 5 %. Moreover, the majority of train carriages can be regarded as safe zones, as the ventilation across the screen door are mostly directed towards the platform. Additionally, releasing the bioaerosols at the platform floor poses the most severe threats to human health, and the corresponding evacuation strategies are suggested. These findings offer practical guidance for the design of the intra-urban microclimate, reinforcing the need for exposure reduction device or contingency plans, and providing potential evacuation strategy towards improved health outcomes.

Keywords: Bioaerosol transmission; Dynamic boundary conditions; Environmental health literacy; Exposure risk assessment; Intra-urban microclimate.