Research Highlights

Workshops on Site Decon, Cleanup, and Associated Issues

The workshops, held February 23–25, 2005, and April 26–28, 2006, in Washington, D.C., allowed participants to share information and data, and discuss issues concerning decontamination of materials contaminated with CBR agents. Participants came from U.S. government agencies and laboratories, international organizations, academia, and decontamination technology companies. They heard presentations on specific topics, participated in question-and-answer sessions, and listened to panel discussions.

February 23–25, 2005 Workshop

Presentations addressed the building bio-decontamination process (i.e., timeline), decontamination technologies, research and development, and lessons learned. Specific topics included elements of a decontamination event and ways to reduce the response time and cost, decontamination technologies used in real-world situations (for example, the anthrax decontamination events in the United States, hospital decontamination case studies), and research and development projects under way or planned by various organizations and agencies. Discussions covered lessons learned about the decontamination process and included suggestions to improve it. Participants also sought to identify research needs and express opportunities for improving the current understanding of the decontamination process.

Workshop participants raised several vital issues to consider during ongoing research and future decontamination efforts:

• Information sharing and interagency coordination: the importance of information sharing and coordination during a response action, as well as ongoing information sharing among researchers
• Preparedness: planning and preparing for threat scenarios to respond quickly and appropriately in terms of decontamination and restoration
• Sample methodology and design: developing standardized sampling methods (so that
  results are comparable across projects) and identifying appropriate surrogates. Participants emphasized the need for clear sampling objectives, the utility of different sampling methods, and the need to streamline the sampling process.
• Research needs: from research in fumigation chemistry and bio-efficacy studies to research and development of sampling methods (for example, developing cost-effective, real-time sampling methods)

April 26–28, 2006 Workshop

• The plenary session included a discussion of various actual and hypothetical decontamination timelines and potential ways to shorten them, an overview of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) projects and programs, and an FBI presentation on enforcement and evidentiary concerns.
• The general decontamination issues session had talks on sampling method development and validation programs, an overview of EPA decontamination research, EPA’s regulation of biological decontaminants, EPA’s laboratory response network (LRN), and the United Kingdom (UK) and Canadian decontamination approaches.
• Decontamination technologies included technical information regarding chlorine dioxide and vapor hydrogen peroxide (VHP) decontamination, decontamination technology validation and efficacy testing, and facility restoration plans.
• Decontamination research and development included presentations on the following: efforts to test and evaluate decontamination technologies and to decrease decontamination time by developing tools to rapidly evaluate fumigant efficacy and reduce sample analytical time, the fate of chemical warfare agents (CWA) in the environment, and the development of agent cleanup levels for restoration.
• Radiological dispersion device (RDD) decontamination included discussions about current research related to assessing the dispersal of radioactive particles and available decontamination technologies for addressing an RDD event.
• The water decontamination session included talks on research addressing water system concerns associated with a CBR contamination event. These projects primarily focus on understanding contaminant adherence to water distribution system materials and decontamination efficacy within distribution systems.
• The foreign animal disease/avian influenza decontamination session included discussions on the decontamination of the biological agents causing foreign animal diseases (e.g., avian influenza), general response considerations, and disposal of animal carcasses.
• During the expert panel session, the discussion included lessons learned from actual decontamination experiences and laboratory research, research and development needs, and technology gaps. Seven representatives from several federal agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), DHS, NHSRC, and other EPA offices, participated in the panel discussion.

Participants summarized issues and research needs they believed to be of greatest importance. Panel members agreed that communication and collaboration between decontamination personnel and researchers was critical. They identified specific research needs, including sampling method validation, restoration time reduction, real-time sampling technology development, and decontaminant-surface interactions. They also noted the need to address logistical, political, and public perception issues associated with conducting a restoration.

Note: The reports contain main points of presentations and summarize discussions among the workshop panelists. They do not contain verbatim transcripts of all issues discussed.

Contact: Joseph Wood

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