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ANTHRAX REMEDIATION RESEARCH NEEDS
Citation:
Lindquist, H.D A. ANTHRAX REMEDIATION RESEARCH NEEDS. Presented at 4th Decontamination Commodity Area Conference (DECON 2002), San Diego, CA, October 22-24, 2002.
Impact/Purpose:
1) Refine new, practical methods for the detection of CCL-related and emerging waterborne human protozoa.
2) Perform field tests of devices or methods that have been developed under this task.
3) Evaluate these methods or devices in a variety of water matrices and parasite concentrations.
This work in this task supports CCL2 and 3 and is expected to be completed by 9/07.
Description:
The Environmental Protection Agency has initiated a research program to respond to the immediate needs arising from the recent Bacillus anthracis bioterrorism events. Although the program has a strong emphasis on anthrax, other pathogens and chemical agents, including toxic industrial chemicals are also addressed. This program of research includes five technical areas: detection; containment; decontamination; disposal; and risk assessment, communications, and technology transfer. Detection research will address methods to detect biological and chemical agents to determine if an attack has occurred, and to guide disinfection/decontamination operations. Containment encompasses research to prevent or limit the damage from indoor releases of biological or chemical agents. Decontamination research focuses on disinfection of B. anthracis spores, as well as other hazardous biological or chemical agents. Disposal research will focus on safe packaging, transport, and disposal of the waste streams and disinfection byproducts resulting from disinfection or decontamination activities. Risk assessment, communications, and technology transfer projects are designed to provide methods to assess and communicate risk and to communicate new methods and improved technologies to users. Anticipated products are all planned to be available for field use in the near term and include guidelines, standardized and tested procedures, and technology evaluations. Customers of these products include early responders, field decontamination personnel, architects, and building owners and managers. The research will be carried out predominantly through extramural agreements and partnerships with both public and private entities; as well as utilizing U.S. EPA in-house capabilities where they already exist. Some projects within this strategy are currently being implemented, while others are awaiting final approval through the peer review process.