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3d ago

UMass Amherst Study Finds Six-Foot Distancing Falls Short in Moving Lines

Fluid dynamics experiments with 3D-printed mannequins reveal ambient heat coupled with walking-induced airflows can hold aerosol particles within six feet

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During the COVID-19 pandemic, most public indoor spaces required people to stand six-feet apart for social distancing when standing in line. (Photo by Prostock-studio on Shutterstock)
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Overview

  • Undergraduates Ruixi Lou and Milo Van Mooy used 3D-printed human models on a conveyor belt and computational simulations to mimic people queuing and walking.
  • Researchers documented a downwash effect in which airflow from movement forces exhaled aerosols downward rather than allowing them to rise.
  • Ambient temperatures near human body heat (around 28 °C) can keep virus-laden particles suspended at breathing height as queue participants advance.
  • In climate-controlled environments, cooler indoor air drives exhaled plumes upward, reducing horizontal aerosol exposure between individuals.
  • Published today in Science Advances, the study urges public health guidelines to move beyond static distancing rules by accounting for temperature, ventilation and movement dynamics.