Lee Youngjin Moon, Myoung Woon Chung, Seok Kim, Seong Jin 2024-11-07T02:30:18Z 2024-11-07T02:30:18Z 2024-11-07 2024-10 1070-6631 https://pubs.kist.re.kr/handle/201004/151003 https://pubs.aip.org/aip/pof/article/36/10/101915/3317507/Aerosol-deposition-on-face-masks-in-an-open The aerodynamics of aerosols and their deposition on face masks play a critical role in determining the effectiveness of respiratory protection. While existing studies have focused on the risks associated with aerosol dispersion during exhalation, little attention has been paid to aerosol aerodynamics in an open environment, where aerosols can circumvent masks, during inhalation. This is because mask performance has primarily been evaluated by the particle filtration efficiency in closed pipe setups, which do not account for the aerodynamics of aerosols around the wearer's face. In this study, we conduct experiments in an open environment to investigate the aerosol flow around a face mask and the aerosol deposition under varying inhalation pressures. Our results indicate that an aerosol flow near a mask surface behaves like a viscous flow, stagnating within the range of human inhalation. Within this range, we find that the amount of aerosol deposited can be predicted by modifying existing aerodynamics theory. Using a theoretical model, a critical inhalation pressure is identified at which water aerosols begin to penetrate through a mask. Finally, we propose the aerosol circumvention efficiency as a new metric to assess mask performance in open environments by taking into account the effects of aerosol circumvention. English American Institute of Physics Aerosol deposition on face masks in an open environment during inhalation Article 10.1063/5.0231731 1 Physics of Fluids, v.36, no.10 Physics of Fluids 36 10 N scie scopus 001338997800001 Mechanics Physics, Fluids & Plasmas Mechanics Physics Article STAGNATION POINT VISCOUS-FLOW EFFICIENCY VENTILATOR SURVIVAL VIRUS