{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,30]],"date-time":"2026-09-30T10:21:02Z","timestamp":1790763662646,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":48,"publisher":"AIP Publishing","issue":"11","content-domain":{"domain":["pubs.aip.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>We have performed a three-dimensional numerical simulation to determine the effect of local atmospheric pollution level on the spreading characteristics of the severe acute respiratory syndrome\u2009coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus through ejected droplets during sneezing and coughing in an open space. Utilizing a finite volume-based numerical method, we have performed computations for various ranges of droplet diameters and sneezing speeds. The interactions between the droplets and the suspended particles are considered by taking both hydrophobic and hydrophilic wettability characteristics into account. Our computational results show that the virus-containing droplets partially affect aerosols during the path of their transmission. With the progression of time, the droplet distribution shows an asymmetric pattern. The maximum dispersion of these droplets is found for higher sneezing velocities. The droplets with a diameter of 50\u2009\u03bcm travel a larger distance than the larger diameter droplets. We have found that an aerosol with hydrophilic wettability undergoes complete wetting by the disease-containing droplets and therefore is conducive to disease propagation. The droplet engagement duration with aerosol decreases with increase in the sneezing velocity. Our study recommends against using physical exercise centers in a closed environment such as gymnasium and indoor games during the COVID pandemic, especially in a polluted environment. The results from our work will help in deciding proper social distancing guidelines based on the local atmospheric pollution level. They may act as a precursor in controlling further spread of diseases during this unprecedented situation of the COVID pandemic.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1063\/5.0067517","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,9]],"date-time":"2021-11-09T11:07:57Z","timestamp":1636456077000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1063\/aip-crossmark-policy-page","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":13,"title":["Study of the interactions of sneezing droplets with particulate matter in a polluted environment"],"prefix":"10.1063","volume":"33","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8904-8347","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Prasenjit","family":"Dey","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Goa 1 , Ponda, Goa 403401,","place":["India"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3329-364X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sandip K.","family":"Saha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay 2 , Mumbai 400076,","place":["India"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4442-5882","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sandip","family":"Sarkar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mechanical Engineering, Jadavpur University 3 , Kolkata 700032,","place":["India"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"317","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"2025052815270258200_c1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"037102","DOI":"10.1063\/1.5139057","article-title":"Droplet impact onto a solid sphere in mid-air: Effect of viscosity, gas density, and diameter ratio on impact outcomes","volume":"32","year":"2020","journal-title":"Phys. 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