Evaluation of the Removal and Inactivation of Bacterial Spores on Outdoor Surfaces Using a Small-Scale Street Sweeper
Citation:
Touati, D., D. Aslett, AND Joe Wood. Evaluation of the Removal and Inactivation of Bacterial Spores on Outdoor Surfaces Using a Small-Scale Street Sweeper. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-18/271, 2018.
Impact/Purpose:
In a wide area release of Bacillus anthracis spores, street sweepers may offer a relatively quick method of removing and/or inactivating spores from contaminated roadways, parking lots, and other similar surfaces. Street sweepers typically use water for dust suppression and scrubbing prior to vacuuming, and this is the type of sweeper evaluated in the present study, albeit at a smaller scale. In the present study, a commercially available walk-behind floor scrubber was used to represent a small-scale street sweeper, and was evaluated in several tests, to determine its ability to remove or inactivate bacterial spores from concrete and asphalt surfaces.
Description:
Historically, street sweeping primarily has been conducted to remove the regular buildup of litter and trash along urban streets. Recent developments in sweeper technology, such as regenerative sweepers and “dustless sweepers”, enable municipalities and transportation departments to collect smaller particles in a cost-effective manner. In this study, a commercially available walk-behind floor scrubber was evaluated in several tests to determine its ability to remove and/or inactivate bacterial spores from concrete and asphalt surfaces.