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PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES WITH TECHNOLOGIES FOR DECONTAMINATION OF B. ANTHRACIS IN LARGE BUILDINGS.
Citation:
MARTIN, G. B. PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES WITH TECHNOLOGIES FOR DECONTAMINATION OF B. ANTHRACIS IN LARGE BUILDINGS. Presented at A&WMA'S 98th Annual Conference & Exhibition, Minneapolis, MN, June 21 - 24, 2005.
Impact/Purpose:
To inform the public.
Description:
In the Fall of 2001 a number of buildings were contaminated with B. anthracis (B.A.) from letters processed through United States Postal Service and other mail handling facilities. All of the buildings have now been decontaminated using a variety of technologies. In a number of cases, large buildings have been decontaminated by introduction of either chlorine dioxide or hydrogen peroxide, in a manner and at scales not previously attempted. The practical application of these technologies in a safe and effective manner presented a number of technical challenges all of which were successfully overcome. This paper will summarize observations on the events that need to occur during a decontamination event and the engineering experience gained during the decontaminations. Observation of the total process suggests that the time and cost associated with the actual fumigation process is a fraction of the duration and total cost of the entire decontamination event. The paper also discusses some of the "lessons learned" during the decontamination events and subsequent tests.