Table 6. Parameter uncertainties with most influence on risk.
| Pathogen | Retrospective scenario | Prospective scenario | ||
| Ingestion risk | Inhalation risk | Ingestion risk | Inhalation risk | |
| B. anthracis | Dose-response coefficient (r) (0.66–0.76) | Air change rate (ACH) (0.31–0.72) | Dose-response coefficient (r) (0.63–0.87) | Air change rate (ACH) (0.44–0.75) |
| Mass transfer fraction from surface to hand (fsh) (0.21–0.36) | Breathing rate (Inh) (0.27–0.65) | Mass transfer fraction from surface to hand (fsh) (0.16–0.32) | Breathing rate (Inh) (0.14–0.53) | |
| Air change rate (ACH) (0.081–0.21) | Density of the particle (ρp) (0.052–0.61) | Resuspension rate (μ2) (0.047, 0.29) | Resuspension rate (μ2) (0.022–0.32) | |
| Y. pestis | Decay rate on fomite (γf) (0.56–0.61) | Breathing rate (Inh) (0.73–0.78) | Decay rate on fomite (γf) (0.53–0.56) | Decay rate on fomite (γf) (0.51–0.63) |
| Mass transfer fraction from surface to hand (fsh) (0.47–0.51) | Air change rate (ACH) (0.28–0.52) | Mass transfer fraction from surface to hand (fsh) (0.34–0.38) | Resuspension rate (μ2) (0.21–0.35) | |
| Density of the particle (ρp) (0.12–0.24) | Density of the particle (ρp) (0.026–0.54) | Hand-surface contacting rate (rhs) (0.071–0.079) | Breathing rate (Inh) (0.15–0.18) | |
| F. tularensis | Mass transfer fraction from surface to hand (fsh) (0.44–0.67) | Decay rate in the air (γair) (0.46–0.75) | Decay rate on fomite (γf) (0.64–0.65) | Decay rate on fomite (γf) (0.42–0.59) |
| Decay rate in the air (γair) (0.23–0.43) | Breathing rate (Inh) (0.35–0.69) | Mass transfer fraction from surface to hand (fsh) (0.41–0.47) | Resuspension rate (μ2) (0.18–0.33) | |
| Decay rate on fomite (γf) (0.33–0.49) | Decay rate on fomite (γf) (0.18–0.42) | Hand-surface contacting rate (rhs) (0.12–0.13) | Decay rate in the air (γair) (0.14–0.26) | |
| Variola major | Mass transfer fraction from surface to hand (fsh) (0.45–0.67) | Dose-response coefficient (r) (0.44–0.73) | Mass transfer fraction from surface to hand (fsh) (0.60–0.67) | Dose-response coefficient (r) (0.30–0.61) |
| Dose-response coefficient (r) (0.38–0.54) | Air change rate (ACH) (0.19–0.54) | Dose-response coefficient (r) (0.51–0.57) | Air change rate (ACH) (0.25–0.45) | |
| Air change rate (ACH) (0.11–0.37) | Breathing rate (Inh) (0.25–0.40) | Resuspension rate (μ2) (0.15–0.46) | Resuspension rate (μ2) (0.25–0.39) | |
| Lassa | Dose-response coefficient (r) (0.60–0.70) | Dose-response coefficient (r) (0.69–0.87) | Dose-response coefficient (r) (0.72) | Dose-response coefficient (r) (0.61–0.80) |
| Mass transfer fraction from surface to hand (fsh) (0.40–0.47) | Breathing rate (Inh) (0.26–0.28) | Mass transfer fraction from surface to hand (fsh) (0.51) | Breathing rate (Inh) (0.17–0.23) | |
| Decay rate in the air (γair) (0.057–0.21) | Decay rate in the air (γair) (0.082–0.31) | Resuspension rate (μ2) (0.26–0.40) | Decay rate in the air (γair) (0.089–0.24) | |
Correlation coefficients between selected parameters and risks. Correlations were computed separately for each of four modeled particle sizes (1, 3, 5, and 10 µM diameter particles), and the smallest and the largest coefficients across the four modeled particle sizes are listed in the brackets. (Raw data are included in Information S4).