Date created: 7 June 2022

Title:  Dataset associated with "Aerosol Emissions from Wind Instruments: Effects of Performer Age, Sex, Sound Pressure Level, and Bell Covers"

Authors: John Volckens et al.

Contact: john.volckens@colostate.edu

License: CC-BY

Recommended data citation: Volckens, J., Good, K. M., Goble, D., Good, N., Keller, J. P., Keisling, A., L'Orange, C., Morton, E., Phillips, R., & Tanner, K. (2022). Dataset associated with "Aerosol Emissions from Wind Instruments: Effects of Performer Age, Sex, Sound Pressure Level, and Bell Covers." Colorado State University. Libraries. http://dx.doi.org/10.25675/10217/235366 

Associated article: Volckens, J., Good, K. M., Goble, D., Good, N., Keller, J. P., Keisling, A., L'Orange, C., Morton, E., Phillips, R., & Tanner, K. (2022). Aerosol Emissions from Wind Instruments: Effects of Performer Age, Sex, Sound Pressure Level, and Bell Covers. Scientific Reports 12, 11303. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-15530-x

Description: The datafile "CSU_instrument_dataset.csv" contains participant demographics and aerosol emission rate data collected during the "Reducing Bioaerosol Emissions and Exposures in the Performing Arts: A Scientific Roadmap for a Safe Return from COVID19" study.  These data were collected from September 2020 through March 2021.  Each column represents a variable and each row represents an observation.  The "variable description" section below provides an explanation for each column variable (shown in quotes) in the dataset.

Data file format: .csv

Abstract: Aerosol emissions from wind instruments are a suspected route of transmission for airborne infectious diseases, such as SARS-CoV-2. We evaluated aerosol number emissions (from 0.25 – 35.15 m) from 81 volunteer performers of both sexes and varied age (12 to 63 years) while playing wind instruments (bassoon, clarinet, flute, French horn, oboe, piccolo, saxophone, trombone, trumpet, and tuba) or singing. Measured emissions spanned more than two orders of magnitude, ranging in rate from 8 to 1,400 particless-1, with brass instruments, on average, producing 191% (95% CI: 81-367%) more aerosol than woodwinds.  Being male was associated with a 70% increase in emissions (vs. female; 95% CI: 9-166%). Each 1 dBA increase in sound pressure level was associated with a 28% increase (95% CI: 10-40%) in emissions from brass instruments; sound pressure level was not associated with woodwind emissions.  Age was not a significant predictor of emissions. The use of bell covers reduced aerosol emissions from three brass instruments tested (trombone, tuba, and trumpet), with average reductions ranging from 53 to 73%, but not for the two woodwind instruments tested (oboe and clarinet). Results from this work can facilitate infectious disease risk management for the performing arts.

Variable Description: 

[column number] "variable name" description

[1] "participant" This is the participant identification number.  Each number is unique for a given study participant;
[2] "date" The date when these observations were taken in YYYY-MM-DD format;
[3] "instrument" The type of instrument being played;
[4] "maneuver" The type of music being played as one of three categories: scales, selection, freestyle.  See manuscript for details;
[5] "sex" The self-identified sex of the participant: male, female; 
[6] "height" Participant height in centimeters;
[7] "weight" Participant weight in pounds;
[8] "age" The age of the participant at time of enrollment in units of years; 
[9] "age_bi" A binary age variable: minor or adult;
[10] "bell_cover" A binary variable indicating whether a bell cover was used during the measurement.  See manuscript for details;
[11] "class" A binary variable depicting the class of instrument being played: brass or woodwind.
[12] "conc" The measured aerosol number concentration downstream of the instrument. Units are number per liter of air.  Data represent counts of particle sizes from 0.25 to 33 microns in diameter and have been corrected for background levels. See manuscript for details.
[13] "ef" The measured aerosol number emission rate for the measurement.  Units are number of particles per second. Data represent particle sizes from 0.25 to 33 microns in diameter and have been corrected for background levels. See manuscript for details;
[14] "ppm_co2" The measured carbon dioxide mixing ratio downstream of the instrument.  Data have been corrected for background;
[15] "conc_norm" The measured aerosol number concentration downstream of the instrument divided by the measured carbon dioxide mixing ratio.  Equivalent to column 12 divided by column 14;
[16] "dba" Sound pressure level measured above the instrument.  Units are A-weighted decibels.  See manuscript for details.