Preventing Indoor Bioaerosol Contamination in Food Processing Environments and HVAC Systems: Assessment of Particle Deposition for Hygienic Design Purposes

International audienceThis chapter deals with airborne particle contamination in foodprocessing indoor environments and particularly within heating, ventilation, andair-conditioning (HVAC) systems in food factory buildings. The major types ofbioaerosols encountered in the food manufacturing sector as well as the bioaerosolsampling methods are firstly introduced. Secondly, some features of air handlingsystems such as zoning, cleanrooms, localized air handling systems, and HVACsystems are presented. Besides, the study of particle deposition to duct surfacesfrom turbulent airflow is reviewed and discussed. Substantially, an original workcombining industrial diagnosis and experiments at factory scale with experiments atlaboratory scale is then proposed through the case study of the CleanAirNet project.The CleanAirNet project (Hygienic Design of Ventilation Duct Networks in FoodFactories) aimed at producing new knowledge, models, and techniques to helpcontrol the safety of the food products through a better control of aerosol particletransport and deposition in the ventilation networks of the food industry. Thedifferent work packages of the project are presented relatively to the state-of-the-art particle deposition on duct surfaces. The methodological findings and relevantapplications (e.g., a newly patented particle trapping device for air handlingsystems) for food industries are exposed. The CleanAirNet project was supportedby the French National Research Agency (ANR) from 2008 to 2012; the project consortium was conducted by seven institutes and universities, as well as threeindustries from the food sector