Airborne pathogenic microorganisms and air cleaning technology development: A review

Transmission of pathogens through air is a critical pathway for the spread of airborne diseases, as airborne pathogenic microorganisms cause several harmful infections. This review summarizes the occurrence, transmission, and adverse impacts of airborne pathogenic microorganisms that spread over large distances via bioaerosols. Air cleaning technologies have demonstrated great potential to prevent and reduce the spread of airborne diseases. The recent advances in air cleaning technologies are summarized on the basis of their advantages, disadvantages, and adverse health effects with regard to the inactivation mechanisms. The application scope and energy consumption of different technologies are compared, and the characteristics of air cleaners in the market are discussed. The development of high-efficiency, low-cost, dynamic air cleaning technology is identified as the leading research direction of air cleaning. Furthermore, future research perspectives are discussed and further development of current air cleaning technologies is proposed.