Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Decontamination of Category A Viruses on Porous Surfaces and Sensitive Equipment
EPA Contract Number: 68HE0D18C0010Title: Decontamination of Category A Viruses on Porous Surfaces and Sensitive Equipment
Investigators: Theys, Dr. Angela
Small Business: METSS Corporation
EPA Contact: Packard, Benjamin H
Phase: I
Project Period: October 1, 2018 through March 31, 2019
Project Amount: $99,212
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase I (2018) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) , SBIR - Homeland Security
Description:
Packaging and transporting contaminated waste is very costly and poses inherent risks to those handling the waste. Decontamination at the point of origin would reduce the risk of secondary exposure to those involved in the remediation effort and reduce the logistical burden of packaging and transport, particularly for large bulky items. Although commercial systems exist to address this need, there are no standardized, validated procedures for use to treat materials or entire rooms that are contaminated with Category A viruses including filoviruses (e.g., Ebola and Marburg), arenaviruses (e.g., Lassa, Machupo), and Smallpox. Under the Phase I program, METSS recommended a safe, robust, cost-effective, and patented technology for generating pure chlorine dioxide (ClO2) to support non-destructive decontamination of hard surfaces and porous materials (e.g., upholstery, bedding, fabric, carpet, unpainted wood), bulky items (e.g., mattresses, furniture) and sensitive equipment (e.g., computers, cell phones and tablets, appliances). This technology has been demonstrated effective for a number of common pathogens and is currently sold as an EPA-registered disinfectant in liquid form. Gas phase application of this ClO2 technology is now being demonstrated against a surrogate for the Category A Ebola virus.
The project objective was addressed by evaluating two innovative technologies: one utilizing a ClO2 gas generation system and the other using a Hot Air Decontamination (HAD) system. Both technologies have been proven effective in neutralizing biological threats in large areas with minimal impact to material integrity. METSS modified/retrofitted the technologies to meet the specific needs of this project and the desired application.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
Both ClO2 and HAD technologies were shown feasible as on-site decontamination processes; however, it became apparent that implementing HAD for this specific application had numerous technical and logistical constraints making it less favorable for on-site decontamination. Chlorine dioxide treatment, however, was shown to be a very feasible process using a simple gas dispersion device in conjunction with an innovative gas-generating micro-reactor and a standard household fan and humidifier. Full-scale ClO2 demonstrations showed consistent inactivation of >4-logs of virus on contaminated porous and non-porous materials. Full-scale treatments evaluated under the Phase I program ranged in duration from 8.5 to 10 hours; however, with process optimization the researchers are confident the treatment time can be reduced to 3-6 hours or better. Full-scale demonstration trials resulted in >4 log inactivation levels of the Ebola surrogate, Phi6. The technology was shown to be robust, repeatable, and effective on porous materials, and nondestructive to sensitive equipment.
Conclusions:
The ClO2 technology was demonstrated effective at inactivating a surrogate of Ebola, a Category A infectious agent, in a small room that was furnished with a mattress, desk, chair, bookcase, and rug. The permeability of ClO2 through the mattress, fabric, and desk drawers was demonstrated. Coupons of various materials, including carpet, wood, fabric, and glass, were inoculated with the Ebola surrogate and demonstrated >4-log neutralization within 8.5-10 hours in the treated room. Small electronics in the room (alarm clock, calculator, cell phone, and laptop) were still functional after several rounds of ClO2 treatment. These experiments demonstrate the utility of ClO2 for on-site decontamination, reducing the need for transport of contaminated waste and materials to an off-site treatment facility; a process that has inherent safety risks and costs.
Commercialization:
The ClO2 gas treatment process can be utilized in a significant number of commercial applications; however, the healthcare market has the greatest and most immediate need for such a technology. A third-party market assessment provided very favorable findings for healthcare market applications and identified numerous parties interested in the technology, as well as potential commercial partners. The core of the gas phase decontamination process is a proprietary, inexpensive, and disposable micro-reactor that generates pure ClO2. This technology has been demonstrated to be effective in liquid delivery systems for a number of common pathogens and is used in commercial, EPA-registered disinfection products.
The target end-users could be anyone in need of decontaminating a room (i.e., space) and the items within. The technology will be sold as a fumigation device with a distinct volume-dispersion advantage over commercially available disinfection solutions such as bleach, quaternary ammonium salts, and alcohols that are geared for non-porous materials and surfaces (glass, stainless steel, vinyl, etc.). In comparison to other fumigation technologies, the proposed ClO2 generation method is easy to transport, relatively inexpensive, and requires no special training to operate. While the initial targets are Category A viruses, which are rarely seen in the US, the technology is applicable to numerous pathogens and markets such as health-care, food safety, sports/fitness, and military sustainment.
Although the ClO2 decontamination process utilizes a commercially-available ClO2 generation technology (i.e., Selectrocide® micro-reactors) the fumigant application method is in early stages of development and requires further testing and optimization. Future developmental testing would include testing against other pathogens, refining gas dispersion method to reduce treatment time, defining ideal operating parameters to optimize efficacy properties of the gas, and enhancing design features of the gas dispersion unit (i.e., upgrade the current prototype) to support simple and reliable use in field applications.
SBIR Phase II:
Decontamination of Category A Viruses on Porous Surfaces and Sensitive Equipment | Final ReportThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.