The COVID-19 era exposed critical gaps in how we manage airborne infection risks in healthcare facilities.
Most current codes strongly emphasize indoor air quality — ventilation rates, filtration, and pressure control — yet there appears to be comparatively limited guidance on the treatment of contaminated exhaust air before it is discharged into the atmosphere.
Research indicates that microorganisms from areas such as isolation rooms, laboratories, dental suites, and decontamination spaces can survive under certain environmental conditions and, in poorly designed exhaust configurations, may pose potential exposure risks — particularly in dense urban environments.
This raises an important question:
Should hospital exhaust systems be considered a formal part of infection control strategies, rather than merely air removal systems?
Technologies such as HEPA filtration, UV disinfection, and controlled exhaust discharge design are already applied in laboratories and high-risk facilities.
Is it time for similar risk-based approaches to be incorporated into healthcare ventilation codes and standards?
I’m interested to hear from fellow HVAC engineers, infection control specialists, and code professionals:
Have you encountered projects where exhaust air treatment was required or debated?
Do you see current standards as sufficient, or is there a gap that needs to be addressed?
