Relative Evaluation Approach for Cross-Room Exposure in a Detached House Using a Measurement-Informed Multizone Model

Household airborne transmission can be promoted when infectious and susceptible occupants share indoor air for long periods, yet practical infection-risk models often require pathogen-specific parameters that are uncertain. This study proposes a measurement-informed multizone/HVAC-network workflow that identifies inter-room airflow rates (q) from CO2 tracer time series and estimates an effective first-order non-ventilation aerosol loss rate (λ) by fitting PM2.5 concentration decay dynamics; the identified parameters are then reused within the same whole-house recirculating network model (vtsim) to compute a steady-state exhaled-air tracer concentration index for scenario comparison. The workflow is demonstrated in a high-insulation, airtight detached house equipped with a duct-type whole-house air-conditioning system with return-air recirculation. The results indicate measurable cross-room dispersion under baseline operation and show that a return-side filtration scenario reduces the steady-state index in non-source rooms relative to baseline under the tested operating assumptions. These findings illustrate how measurement-informed identification can support rapid, threshold-free relative comparison of ventilation/HVAC operation or mitigation scenarios within a specific house, rather than estimating absolute infection probability. Limitations include potential non-uniqueness in inverse identification, simplified treatment of leakage and pressure-drop-induced airflow changes, and the use of a steady-state index for inherently transient residential exposures; further validation across additional houses and HVAC topologies is warranted.