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Neutralization of Ricin Toxin on Building Interior Surfaces using Liquid Decontaminants
Citation:
Richter, W., B. Weston, M. Sunderman, Z. Willenberg, K. Ratliff, AND J. Wood. Neutralization of Ricin Toxin on Building Interior Surfaces using Liquid Decontaminants. PLOS ONE . Public Library of Science, San Francisco, CA, 19(5):e0302967, (2024). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0302967
Impact/Purpose:
The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the neutralization of a crude preparation of ricin toxin, inoculated onto common building materials (pine wood, drywall joint tape, countertop laminate, and industrial carpet) using several commercially available liquid decontaminants and/or household cleaners. The decontaminants selected included solutions comprised of sodium hypochlorite (SH; i.e., three concentrations of chlorine bleach), quaternary ammonium compounds (QAC), sodium percarbonate (SP), peracetic acid (PAA), and aqueous HP. The number of spray applications and contact times (the elapsed time the decontaminant was in contact with the coupon/ricin) were also test variables. Decontamination efficacy was quantified as the percent reduction in the mass of ricin toxin recovered from test coupons (sprayed with the decontaminant) compared to the mass of toxin recovered from positive control coupons (not sprayed with the decontaminant).
Description:
Ricin is a highly toxic protein, capable of inhibiting protein synthesis within cells, and is produced from the beans of the Ricinus communis (castor bean) plant. Numerous recent incidents involving ricin have occurred, many in the form of mailed letters resulting in both building and mail sorting facility contamination. The goal of this study was to assess the decontamination efficacy of several commercially available off-the-shelf cleaners and decontaminants (solutions of sodium hypochlorite (bleach), quaternary ammonium, sodium percarbonate, peracetic acid, and hydrogen peroxide) against a crude preparation of ricin toxin. The ricin was inoculated onto four common building materials (pine wood, drywall joint tape, countertop laminate, and industrial carpet), and the decontaminants were applied to the test coupons using a handheld sprayer. Decontamination efficacy was quantified using an in-vitro cytotoxicity assay to measure the quantity of bioactive ricin toxin extracted from test coupons as compared to the corresponding positive controls (not sprayed with decontaminant). Results showed that decontamination efficacy varied by decontaminant and material, and that efficacy generally improved as the number of spray applications or contact time increased. The solutions of 0.45 % peracetic acid and the 20,000-ppm sodium hypochlorite provided the overall best decontamination efficacy. The 0.45 % peracetic acid solution achieved 97.8 to 99.8% reduction with a 30-minute contact time.
URLs/Downloads:
DOI: Neutralization of Ricin Toxin on Building Interior Surfaces using Liquid Decontaminants
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