-------
Detection
Containment
Decontamination
Disposal
Detection research is designed to ensure
that responders and decontamination
crews have the sampling and analysis
methods they need to detect contaminants
and support and verify decontamination.
Research projects include:
• portable systems for detecting
airborne chemical agents
• laser technologies for rea-time
detection of both chemical and
biological agents
• methods for rapid, accurate, and
sensitive detection of bacteria
after decontamination, with rapid
assessment of viability
• procedures for sampling indoor sur-
faces for pathogenic bacteria, toxic
chemicals, or radiologica contaminants
Containment research focuses on developing
and testing methods for preventing the
spread of contaminants within buildings and
for protecting the people in those buildings.
Research projects are directed toward:
• studying the indoor movement of
contaminants to assess the effect of
HVAC design on dispersion and to
estimate how long occupants have
to escape
• evaluating the effectiveness and
economics of possible protection
measures
• developing new air cleaners and filters
to remove toxic materials from indoor air
• providing tools, techniques, tech-
nologies, and guidance to minimize
the impact of a chemical, biological,
or radiological attack on the building
occupants and to limit the spread of any
airborne contaminants
Safe, effective methods are being
developed to rapidly decontaminate both
indoor and outdoor areas — especially
porous surfaces such as carpeting, ceiling
tiles, and brick or concrete — after a
chemical, biological, or radiological attack.
Decontamination research emphasizes:
• field tria s of available decontami-
nation methodologies
• investigation of the health effects of
residual decontamination chemicals
and by-products
• evaluation of commercially available
decontamination methods and
systems, optimization of promising
methods, and development of new
methods of decontamination for
materia s such as electronics
Decontamination crews at the
Hart Senate Office building
after the anthrax incident
in 2001
Laser-Induced Breakdown
Spectrometry (LIBS),
(above), and Resonance-
Enhanced Multiphoton
lonization (REM.Pl), (right),
devices are used for real-
time detection of chemical
and biological agents.
Small aerosol testing
chamber in the High Bay
Facility at EPA in Research
Triangle Park, North
Carolina
Safe disposal of contaminated materials
and decontamination wastes is a major
concern. These wastes include protective
equipment, rinse water, and porous and
nonporous materials that are difficult
to decontaminate. Appropriate tools,
techniques, and technologies are needed
for the safe removal, packaging, transport,
and disposal of contaminated materials.
Topics of study include:
• pollutants ikely to be generated
during disposal and methods for
minimizing their effects on the
environment
• thermal destruction methods
(incinerating, autoclaving, gasification)
for safely disposing of contaminated
building materials and contents
• conditions for safe landfilling of
building decontamination wastes
Web-based guidance is available for
emergency responders, disposal crews, and
facility owners. This guidance addresses
safety and regulatory issues associated
with transport and disposal, and provides
locations of appropriate landfills,
autoclaves, and incinerators.
For additional information,
go to www.epa.gov/nhsrc.
Rotary kiln (above) used in thermal
destruction studies and a piece of
contaminated furniture being placed
in an autoclave (right)
------- |