An experimental study of aerosol generation by showerheads

Aerosolization of water from discharging water appliances is a source for Legionellosis. This paper reports the measurement results of aerosol generation from four different showerheads in a mechanically ventilated test chamber. Associations between aerosol generation rate and water supply pressure, flow rate, water velocity, resistance factor K and ratio of total nozzle area to showerhead faceplate area were investigated. The results showed that a higher pressure in water supply mains gave a higher aerosol generation rate, and a water velocity that was very low or very high contributed to the generation of aerosols. Moreover, showerhead designs were found to have influences on aerosol generation. This paper improves our understanding of aerosolization of water from showerheads with running water and provides a source of data for future showerhead designs.