Decontamination Efficacy of Three Commercial Off-the-Shelf Sporicidal Agents on Medium-Sized Panels Contaminated with Surrogates of Bacillus anthracis.

摘要

A significant gap in technology preparedness exists in the U.S. Federal response to wide-area contamination resulting from the release of biological agents such as Bacillus anthracis spores. In 2001, release of just a few letters containing anthrax spores resulted in the contamination of several building interiors, including the U.S. Postal and Distribution Centers (Brentwood, Washington, DC; Trenton and Jersey City, NJ) and American Media Inc. (Boca Raton, FL). Despite heavy contamination levels of several building interiors, remediation of building interiors was achieved successfully by fumigation with chlorine dioxide (CD) or vapor hydrogen peroxide (VHP). A wide- area release and contamination of building exteriors and the outdoors would likely exhaust the national remediation capacity. Cleanup could take years and lead to incalculable financial drain because of a delay in effective response. Additionally, agencies responsible for the mitigation of contaminated sites are exploring alternative methods for decontamination including combinations for the disposal of contaminated items, source reduction by vacuuming, mechanical scrubbing, and pH-adjusted bleach pressure wash. If proven effective, a pressure wash-based removal of anthrax spores from building surfaces with readily available equipment will significantly increase the readiness of federal agencies to meet the daunting challenge of restoration and cleanup efforts following a wide-area biological release.