Characterizing as a surrogate for wastewater treatment studies and bioaerosol emissions.

This study characterized (BG) as a Sterne (BAS) surrogate for wastewater treatment-related studies of UV inactivation, adsorption onto powdered activated carbon (PAC), and bioaerosol emission. The inactivation of BG was faster than that of BAS in DI water (pseudo first-order rate constants of 0.065 and 0.

The effect of mixing and free-floating carrier media on bioaerosol release from wastewater: a multiscale investigation with .

Aeration tanks in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are significant sources of bioaerosols, which contain microbial contaminants and can travel miles from the site of origin, risking the health of operators and the general public. One potential mitigation strategy is to apply free-floating carrier media (FFCM) to suppress bioaerosol emission. This article presents a multiscale study on the effects of mixing and FFCM on bioaerosol release using spores in well-defined liquid media.

Functional resilience of activated sludge exposed to and bacteriophage MS2.

This study evaluated the effect of two biocontaminant surrogates on the activity and performance of activated sludge. In the presence of bacteriophage MS2 at 3.2 × 10 PFU/ml, the peak respiration rates varied between 9.

Physiological Responses to Multiple Low-Doses of Spores in the Rabbit Model of Inhalation Anthrax.

spores that are re-aerosolized from surface deposits after initial contamination present significant health risks for personnel involved in decontamination. To model repeated exposure to low dose spores, three groups of seven rabbits were challenged with multiple low-doses of spores 5 days a week for 3 weeks. Mortality, body temperature, heart and respiration rates, hematology, C-reactive protein, bacteremia, and serum protective antigen were monitored for 21 days post-exposure after the last of multiple doses.

Numerical Model for Decontamination of Organic Contaminants in Polyethylene Drinking Water Pipes in Premise Plumbing by Flushing.

Polymeric materials such as polyethylene are used extensively for indoor drinking water applications. These materials are subject to permeation by organic compounds such as those found in petroleum products and industrial chemicals, which can result in water quality issues with potential health effects. Although flushing is a common decontamination technique, disagreements and knowledge gaps in the scientific literature complicate prediction of how much flushing may be required to address organic contamination incidents.

A case study of cesium sorption onto concrete materials and evaluation of wash agents: Implications for wide area recovery.

To support the viability of a wash-down approach to mitigating nuclear contamination, this study presents a characterization of the aggregate of a common concrete by optical microscopy and the sorption-desorption characteristics of cesium from these into potential wash solutions. Various minerals with weathered surfaces displayed strong affinity for 137Cs with an effective partition coefficient =120 mL/g for micas,>25-90 mL/g for feldspars, and>25-30 mL/g for amphiboles. The desorption into 0.

Physiological Responses to a Single Low-Dose of Spores in the Rabbit Model of Inhalational Anthrax.

Credible dose-response relationships are needed to more accurately assess the risk posed by exposure to low-level contamination during or following a release. To begin to fill this knowledge gap, New Zealand White rabbits were implanted with D70-PCT telemetry transmitters and subsequently aerosol challenged with average inhaled doses of 2.86 x 10 to 2.

Evaluating the Environmental Persistence and Inactivation of MS2 Bacteriophage and the Presumed Ebola Virus Surrogate Phi6 Using Low Concentration Hydrogen Peroxide Vapor.

Ebola virus (EBOV) disease outbreaks, as well as the ability of EBOV to persist in the environment under certain conditions, highlight the need to develop effective decontamination techniques against the virus. We evaluated the efficacy of hydrogen peroxide vapor (HPV) to inactivate MS2 and Phi6 bacteriophages, the latter a recommended surrogate for EBOV. The phages were inoculated onto six material types with and without the presence of whole human blood.

Adsorption of bacteriophage MS2 to colloids: Kinetics and particle interactions.

Virus adsorption to colloidal particles is an important issue in the water quality community. Namely, if viruses can quickly and strongly associate to colloids, this can potentially lead to significant implications for the management of biohazardous wastes at water reclamation facilities. This research evaluated the adsorption of bacteriophage MS2 to colloidal suspensions of kaolinite (KAO) and fiberglass (FG).

Rapid viability polymerase chain reaction method for detection of Francisella tularensis.

Francisella tularensis, which causes potentially fatal tularemia, has been considered an attractive agent of bioterrorism and biological warfare due to its low infectious dose, reported environmental persistence, and ability to be transmitted to humans via multiple exposure routes. Due to slow growth on even selective culture media, detection of viable F. tularensis from environmental and drinking water samples, usually takes >3 days.

Evaluating Solid Sorbents for Recycling Wash Waters Containing Strontium and Calcium.

A system for rapid reduction of radioactive contamination and recycle of contaminated waters is called the Integrated Wash-Aid, Treatment, and Emergency Reuse System (IWATERS). First developed for cesium contaminations, IWATERS prescribes the use of salt and surfactant additives to decontaminate radionuclides from urban surfaces. The water is collected and recycled after passing through reactive filtration beds containing selective sorbents.

The use of bacteriophage MS2 for the development and application of a virucide decontamination test method for porous and heavily soiled surfaces.

Aims: (i) To develop an analytical method for recovery and quantification of bacteriophage MS2-as a surrogate for foot-and-mouth disease virus-from complex porous surfaces, with and without the presence of laboratory-developed agricultural grime; (ii) to evaluate, with a 4-log dynamic range, the virucidal activity of common biocides for their ability to decontaminate surfaces and hence remediate facilities, following a foreign animal disease contamination incident.

Methods And Results: An analytical method was developed and optimized for MS2 recovery from simulated agricultural surfaces. The addition of Dey-Engley neutralizing broth to an extraction buffer improved MS2 viability in liquid extracts, with optimal analytical holding times determined as <8 to ≤24 h, depending on matrix.

Chlorine exposure during a biological decontamination study in a mock subway tunnel.

The Underground Transport Restoration (UTR) Operational Technology Demonstration (OTD) was a full-scale field study focused on remediation of a subway system after contamination with a surrogate (, subspecies []). The study involved all aspects of subway system remediation following contamination with a biological surrogate, including characterization, clearance sampling, and waste management. Personal exposure to chlorine gas was also monitored throughout the decontamination portion of the study.

High pressure decontamination of building materials during radiological incident recovery.

The release of radiological material from a nuclear incident has the potential to cause extensive radiological contamination requiring rapid decontamination. A promising method for rapid remediation is the use of pressure washers to decontaminate building and street surfaces. Pressure washers utilize both physical removal through surface ablation and chemical removal through desorption of bonded radionuclides.

Development of a rapid viability polymerase chain reaction method for detection of Yersinia pestis.

Due to the occurrence of natural plague outbreaks and its historical usage as a biological weapon, Yersinia pestis is considered one of the high-priority biological threat agents. It can remain viable in certain environments including water for >100 days. Because of its slow-growth characteristic, it usually takes three or more days to detect and confirm the identity of viable Y.

The effectiveness of disinfection and flushing procedures to prevent coliform persistence in aircraft water systems.

A full-scale reproduction of an aircraft drinking water system was conditioned using municipal tap water with a mixture of free chlorine and chloramines, and subsequently contaminated with coliforms. Disinfection was undertaken using chlorine dioxide, ozone and a mixed oxidant solution followed by flushing until no disinfectant residual remained. Results showed that coliforms were not persistent on the aircraft plumbing surfaces, and coliforms were not detected after disinfection and flushing with any disinfectant.

Review of Decontamination Techniques for the Inactivation of Bacillus anthracis and Other Spore-Forming Bacteria Associated with Building or Outdoor Materials.

Since the intentional release of Bacillus anthracis spores through the U.S. Postal Service in the fall of 2001, research and development related to decontamination for this biological agent have increased substantially.

Understanding the Impact of Mesh on Tank Overflow System Capacity.

A 2016 incident that resulted in damage to a water storage tank's roof motivated pilot-scale experiments to be conducted to determine the impact of mesh on tank overflow capacity. A clean mesh installed near the outlet of an overflow system did not reduce the capacity during the weir dominated flow regime. The impact of a mesh was found to be a reduction in the area available to flow, which was found to lower the achievable capacity through the system.

Chlorine and Monochloramine Disinfection of Colonizing Copper and Polyvinyl Chloride Drinking Water Biofilms.

Building water systems promote the regrowth and survival of opportunistic pathogens, such as , especially within biofilms, where most drinking water microbes reside. However, compared to their planktonic form, disinfection efficacy for the biofilm-associated forms of water-based pathogens is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of free chlorine and monochloramine in the inactivation of biofilm-associated strain Philadelphia-1 serogroup 1 (LpP1s1).

Evaluation of an environmentally sustainable UV-assisted water treatment system for the removal of spores in water.

Development of greener water treatment technologies is important for the production of safe drinking water and water security applications, such as decontamination. Chlorine assisted disinfection is common and economical, but can generate disinfection byproducts (DBPs) that may be of health concern. DBPs are formed due to the reaction of chlorine with naturally occurring organic and inorganic substances in water.

The impact of wipe sampling variables on method performance associated with indoor pesticide misuse and highly contaminated areas.

Pesticide misuse incidents in residential indoor areas are typically associated with misapplications that are inconsistent with the label directions of the product. Surface wipe sampling and analysis procedures are relied upon to evaluate the extent of indoor contamination and the remediation efforts successfully. In general, surface wipe sampling procedures are widely varied, which can complicate the comparison of the results and data interpretation.

Alternative fast analysis method for cellulose sponge surface sampling wipes with low concentrations of Bacillus Spores.

Environmental sampling is a critical component of the post decontamination verification process following a bioterrorism event. The current work was performed to produce a less labor-intensive method for processing cellulose sponge-wipes used for sampling areas potentially contaminated with low concentrations (i.e.

Adsorption of Malathion onto Copper and Iron Surfaces Relevant to Water Infrastructure.

This study investigated the adsorption of malathion to copper and iron surfaces including microspheres and pipe specimens similar to those in drinking water infrastructure. The solid phase concentration of malathion on the virgin and used copper pipe specimens was generally between 0.2 - 1 mg/g.

Evaluation of Exposure to and during Showering.

This study experimentally assessed bacterial water-to-air partitioning coefficients resulting from showerhead aerosolization of water contaminated with or , and estimated human exposure through inhalation. Dechlorinated tap water was spiked with two cell densities (10 and 10 CFU l) and cycled at three temperatures (10, 25, and 37 or 40ºC) through a full-scale shower system. For reproducibility, spiked water concentrations were intentionally higher than found in natural environments.