Evaporation of Water from Respiratory Droplets: A Review

Abstract

Airborne transmission of virus-laden respiratory droplets has drawn a great deal of attention since the outbreak of COVID-19. Ambient relative humidity is the key factor controlling the evaporation of water from airborne droplets. The evaporation processes of respiratory droplets due to decreases in relative humidity are not well understood because of the complexity of the chemical compositions of the droplets. This article reviews the current understanding of the effects of relative humidity on the physicochemical and aerodynamic properties of respiratory droplets and on the infectivity of enveloped viruses.