Impact of test methodology on the efficacy of triethylene glycol (Grignard Pure) against bacteriophage MS2
Citation:
Ratliff, K., L. Oudejans, J. Archer, W. Calfee, J. Gilberry, D. Hook, W. Schoppman, R. Yaga, L. Brooks, AND S. Ryan. Impact of test methodology on the efficacy of triethylene glycol (Grignard Pure) against bacteriophage MS2. AEROSOL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. Taylor & Francis, Inc., Philadelphia, PA, 57(12):1178–1185, (2023). https://doi.org/10.1080/02786826.2023.2262004
Impact/Purpose:
This manuscript provides an overview of research to evaluate the efficacy of Grignard Pure, a triethylene glycol air treatment product) against the bacteriophage MS2 in the air and on surfaces. Two different test methodologies were used to determine how the order of chemical introduction relative to when the bioaerosol was introduced into the chamber impacts efficacy, which informs the development of standard test methods for air treatment products. It will be submitted to the Journal of Hazardous Materials Letters.
Description:
The COVID-19 pandemic has raised interest in using chemical air treatments as part of a strategy to reduce the risk of disease transmission, but more information is needed to characterize their efficacy at scales translatable to applied settings and to develop methods for evaluating the performance of these products. Grignard Pure, a triethylene glycol (TEG) active ingredient air treatment, was evaluated using two different test protocols in a large bioaerosol test chamber and observed to inactivate the bacteriophage MS2 in air (up to 99.9% at 90 minutes) and on surfaces (up to 99% at 90 minutes) at a concentration of approximately 1.2 – 1.5 mg/m3. Introducing bioaerosol into a TEG-charged chamber led to overall greater reductions compared to when TEG was introduced into a bioaerosol-charged chamber, although the differences in the two methodologies were not statistically significant after 15 minutes. Time-matched control conditions (with no TEG present) and replicate tests for each condition were essential for characterizing treatment efficacy. These findings suggest that chemical air treatments could be effective in reducing the air and surface concentrations of infectious pathogens in occupied spaces, although the potential health impacts of chronic exposure to chemicals should also be considered and were not evaluated here.
URLs/Downloads:
DOI: Impact of test methodology on the efficacy of triethylene glycol (Grignard Pure) against bacteriophage MS2