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Evaluation of Commercial Wet Vacuums for Anthrax Sampling
Citation:
Lee, S. Evaluation of Commercial Wet Vacuums for Anthrax Sampling. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-18/158, 2018.
Impact/Purpose:
This study is composed of two phases: Phase I, Evaluation of Wet Vacuum Cleaner Operational Parameters and Phase II, Evaluation of commercially Available Wet Vacuum Cleaners. Phase I optimized the collection efficiency of a custom-made wet vacuum-based surface sampling device on both porous and nonporous surface types through a set of controlled operating parameters. The parameters tested for the wet vacuum sampling were type of liquid (Task 1), temporal lapse between liquid application and suction (Task 2), and liquid volume (Task 3). The vacuum-based sampling technique consisted of an optimized sampling nozzle along with a liquid dispenser and a liquid collection sample vessel that would eliminate post-collection processing since agents were to be captured directly into a liquid that could be analyzed. As part of Phase II tests, commercial wet vacuums were evaluated to determine their effectiveness for spore surface sampling on both porous and nonporous surfaces, using the results of Phase I. A field-usable operating procedure (OP) was developed, based on the results of the Phase II study. To improve the sampling capability for responding to a wide area incident, this study evaluated commercial wet vacuums as a sampling tool. The wet vacuums are applicable on both porous and nonporous surfaces, widely available, and easy to operate for collection of biological agents. In addition, the wet vacuum can sample more than 100 ft2 per sample and generate liquid samples that may reduce the post-collection processing steps.
Description:
This report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Homeland Security Research Program (HSRP) strives to provide expertise and products that can be widely used to prevent, prepare for, and recover from public health and environmental emergencies arising from terrorist threats and other contamination incidents. HSRP conducts research to provide expertise and guidance on the selection and implementation of surface sampling methods that may ultimately provide the scientific basis for a significant reduction in the time and cost of sampling surfaces contaminated with Bacillus anthracis. The currently-used surface sampling methods for biological agents include swabs, wipes, and vacuums fitted with filter-type collection media. Individual methods are material-dependent for application and limited in sampling area (1 – 4 square feet (ft2) per sample). These methods may be physically demanding for application in a wide area incident.