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We explore the scientific approach behind ASHRAE Standard 241, developed to address airborne infection control in buildings during profound uncertainty. The standard represents a paradigm shift in how engineers design ventilation systems to manage risks from infectious aerosols.

• Confronting the challenge that viral emissions from infected individuals vary across seven orders of magnitude
• Abandoning deterministic models in favor of Monte Carlo simulations that embrace uncertainty
• Setting a specific risk target: keeping infection probability below 0.1% in 96% of scenarios
• Creating the concept of eACH (equivalent clean airflow rate) as a universal currency for clean air
• Revealing that older standards like ASHRAE 62.1 were significantly inadequate for infection control
• Establishing different ventilation requirements based on space type and occupancy patterns
• Acknowledging that even well-designed systems cannot eliminate risk completely

Risk modeling for ASHRAE Standard 241-2023 — Control of infectious
aerosols

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