Discussion
Decontamination of buildings from intentional release of B. anthracis is a new problem, and no accumulated sci- entific knowledge exists on the subject. Two areas of prior scientific research may be relevant: food processing and laboratory decontamination. With modification based on further study, the technologies used in laboratories and food processing plants may be applied to buildings.
Direct information on killing B. anthracis spores in foods by cooking is scarce, and the complexity of food matrices precludes easy extrapolation of the laboratory data into nonfood matrices. However, information on inac- tivating spores of bacterial species more resistant to envi- ronmental conditions than B. anthracis can provide guid- ance. The spores of Clostridium botulinum are more resist- ant to heat inactivation than are B. anthracis spores (4). The commercial retort process of canning achieves a 12- log reduction of C. botulinum spores, and by extension, should achieve a similar killing rate for B. anthracis spores. Further research in this area is needed.
Historically, formaldehyde solution or gas has been used both as a disinfectant and chemical sterilant. Formaldehyde was used to disinfect as early as the late 1880s and is still used to reprocess hemodialyzers for reuse on the same patient and to decontaminate biologic safety cabinets and laboratories (35–37). Formaldehyde gas has been used for fumigation in the poultry industry and for disinfection of biologic safety cabinets and laboratories (38,39). Data from controlled experiments with B. globigii NCTC 10073 spores have demonstrated the effect of humidity on formaldehyde concentration (mg/m3) to obtain a >8-log reduction in viable spores (15).
Fumigation with formaldehyde vapor (18 mg/L–21 mg/L) has also been used to treat a textile mill contami-
DiscussionDecontamination of buildings from intentional release of B. anthracis is a new problem, and no accumulated sci- entific knowledge exists on the subject. Two areas of prior scientific research may be relevant: food processing and laboratory decontamination. With modification based on further study, the technologies used in laboratories and food processing plants may be applied to buildings.Direct information on killing B. anthracis spores in foods by cooking is scarce, and the complexity of food matrices precludes easy extrapolation of the laboratory data into nonfood matrices. However, information on inac- tivating spores of bacterial species more resistant to envi- ronmental conditions than B. anthracis can provide guid- ance. The spores of Clostridium botulinum are more resist- ant to heat inactivation than are B. anthracis spores (4). The commercial retort process of canning achieves a 12- log reduction of C. botulinum spores, and by extension, should achieve a similar killing rate for B. anthracis spores. Further research in this area is needed.Historically, formaldehyde solution or gas has been used both as a disinfectant and chemical sterilant. Formaldehyde was used to disinfect as early as the late 1880s and is still used to reprocess hemodialyzers for reuse on the same patient and to decontaminate biologic safety cabinets and laboratories (35–37). Formaldehyde gas has been used for fumigation in the poultry industry and for disinfection of biologic safety cabinets and laboratories (38,39). Data from controlled experiments with B. globigii NCTC 10073 spores have demonstrated the effect of humidity on formaldehyde concentration (mg/m3) to obtain a >8-log reduction in viable spores (15).Fumigation with formaldehyde vapor (18 mg/L–21 mg/L) has also been used to treat a textile mill contami-
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