Citation:

Meyer, K., W. Calfee, Joe Wood, L. Mickelsen, B. Atwood, C. Matt, A. Touati, AND F. Delafield. Fumigation of a Lab-Scale HVAC system with Hydrogen Peroxide for Decontamination Following a Biological Contamination Incident. JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY. Blackwell Publishing, Malden, MA, 116(3):533-541, (2014).

Impact/Purpose:

Vaporous hydrogen peroxide was evaluated for its ability to inactivate Bacillus spores within a pilot-scale heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) duct system. Experiments were conducted in a closed loop duct system, constructed of either internally-lined or unlined galvanized metal. Bacterial spores were aerosol-deposited onto coupons and strategically placed at several locations within the duct environment. Various concentrations of hydrogen peroxide and exposure times were evaluated to determine the sporicidal efficacy and minimum exposure needed for decontamination. For the unlined duct, high variability was observed in the recovery of spores between sampled locations, likely due to complex, unpredictable flow patterns within the ducts. In comparison, the lined duct exhibited significant desorption of the vaporous hydrogen peroxide following the fumigant dwell period, and thus resulted in complete decontamination at all sampled locations. These findings suggest that decontamination of Bacillus spore-contaminated unlined HVAC ducts by hydrogen peroxide fumigation may require more stringent conditions (higher concentrations, longer dwell duration) than internally-insulated ductwork. Regardless, these data may help emergency responders when developing remediation plans during building decontamination.

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Journal Article

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