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Evaluation of Electrostatic Sprayers for Use in a Personnel Decontamination Line Protocol for Biological Contamination Incident Response Operations
Citation:
Archer, J., M. Karnik, A. Touati, D. Aslett, AND A. Abdel-Hady. Evaluation of Electrostatic Sprayers for Use in a Personnel Decontamination Line Protocol for Biological Contamination Incident Response Operations. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-18/283, 2018.
Impact/Purpose:
The primary objective of this study was to provide information relevant to the decontamination of personnel and personal protective equipment (PPE) following an act of bioterrorism. Specifically, an electrostatic sprayer was evaluated to determine if this technology type could be effectively used in the decontamination line. During personnel decontamination, conventional backpack sprayers are often used to distribute liquid decontaminant over PPE surfaces. The electrostatic sprayer showed similar efficacy as compared to conventional backpack sprayers. Additional results show that the impact of this technology is a reduction in decontaminant used, waste minimization, and decreased cross contamination. Information obtained through this study can be used by EPA emergency responders, federal partners, and local and state emergency response groups.
Description:
Personnel decontamination is an integral part of any emergency response. This report discusses a decontamination project that evaluated the decontamination efficacy and physical migration (transport) of Bacillus spores and operational efficiency of two types of sprayer technologies: electrostatic and traditional electric backpack sprayers. These sprayers were used to apply a decontamination solution to materials that are common constituents of emergency responder personal protective equipment (PPE) under operationally relevant exposure conditions and contact times.