Sheltering effects of buildings from biological weapons

Methods for modeling indoor air pollution are used to determine the degree of protection offered by buildings against airborne biological agents. The factors that determine the sheltering effectiveness of a particular building (air exchange rates, particle deposition rates, environmental decay of agents, and filter efficiencies) are considered. Representative values for each of these parameters are determined from available information. The protection offered by an average U.S. home is computed, and the effects of modest civil defense measures are quantified.

Notes

Lester Yuan is currently a AAAS Fellow at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.