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Scientists have studied the spread of aerosols on public transport in Berlin. Photo: TU Berlin
Measurements show: that’s how high the risk of corona infection is on buses and trains
Many people wonder how safe public transportation is during the corona pandemic. A German research team has now investigated how high the aerosol concentration is.
The use of public transport in Berlin will remain safe even during the corona pandemic, for passengers and drivers. This is confirmed by a recent study by the Department of Experimental Fluid Mechanics of the Technical University (TU) of Berlin and the Biofluid Mechanics Laboratory of the Charité – Universitätsmedizin in Berlin.
On behalf of Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG), a team of scientists had experimentally investigated the spread of aerosols in various subways, trams and buses in Berlin.
Researchers studied the spread of aerosols in public transport vehicles
For the experiment, the researchers used measurements of aerosols and artificial theater fog, in which they simulated breathing air contaminated with viruses and inhaled with human-like dolls.
The result
The ventilation of the vehicle and the selective opening of windows and doors ensured an effective reduction of the aerosol concentration by up to 80 percent.
The volume of a bus, for example, roughly corresponds to that of a medium-sized conference room. Opening the doors at every stop would be comparable to opening the windows every minute and a half during a meeting. Additionally, passengers on local public transport are often only en route for a few minutes in vehicles. Photo: TU Berlin
Divider panels on the buses effectively prevented aerosols from spreading from the passenger compartment to the driver’s workplace. Therefore, the risk of infection by the corona virus is quite low, according to the researchers.
Professor Christian Oliver Paschereit from TU Berlin stated:
“We were very pleased that our recently developed measurement technology could help assess the spread of aerosols in local public transport and therefore the risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2. We were able to show here that ventilation systems and the opening of windows and doors significantly reduce the concentration of aerosols in the means of transport considered. “
Important to know
The research did not take into account the additional positive influence of medical masks, as they are currently worn by passengers.
“The use of buses and trains does not pose an increased risk of infection. With a mask, distance and good ventilation, we can continue to travel together safely,” said Eva Kreienkamp, executive director of BVG.
The findings will now be used to utilize ventilation and the window opening in an even more targeted way to further reduce aerosol concentration.
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