Aerosol emission in professional singing of classical music

In this study, emission rates of aerosols emitted by professional singers were measured with a laser particle counter under cleanroom conditions. The emission rates during singing varied between 753 and 6093 particles/sec with a median of 1537 particles/sec. Emission rates for singing were compared with data for breathing and speaking. Significantly higher emission rates were found for singing. The emission enhancements between singing and speaking were between 4.0 and 99.5 with a median of 17.4, largely due to higher sound pressure levels when singing. Further, significant effects of vocal loudness were found, whereas there were no significant differences between the investigated voice classifications. The present study supports the efforts to improve the risk management in cases of possible aerogenic virus transmission, especially for choir singing.

Automated summary

This study measured aerosol emission rates from professional singers during singing compared to breathing and speaking under cleanroom conditions. Singing showed significantly higher emission rates, attributed to higher sound pressure levels, with enhancements between 4.0 and 99.5. Furthermore, vocal loudness had significant effects on emission rates, while no significant differences were found between voice classifications. The study supports the need for improved risk management in cases of potential aerogenic virus transmission, particularly in choir singing settings.