2023 International Decontamination Research and Development Conference Proceedings
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2023 Proceedings
Plenary Speakers | Concurrent Sessions | Poster Session | Tech Cafe Session
Plenary Speakers
Concurrent Sessions
Chemical Agents: Decontamination I | December 5, 2023 from 10:00 am - 11:40 am
Moderator: John Archer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
John Archer is a Research Industrial Hygienist within EPA’s Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response (CESER), Homeland Security and Materials Management Division (HSMMD). His current research areas include testing and evaluation of emergency responder chemical, biological and radiological (CBR) agent and toxic industrial chemical detectors, novel bioaerosol sampling methods and strategies, exposure assessment to CBR threats, and chemical/biological decontamination of responder personal protective equipment (PPE). Mr. Archer holds an M.S. in Environmental Sciences and Engineering from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is also a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH).
Speakers: Oudejans, Serre | Eikenberg | Myers | Languirand, Collins
Full-Scale Testing of a Simulated Chemical Warfare Agent Contaminated Response
Speaker Bio: Lukas Oudejans
Dr. Lukas Oudejans is a Research Physical Scientist with the U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development’s Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response. Over the past 14 years, he has gained vast experience in homeland security programs related to research, development and evaluation of innovative technologies for the decontamination of materials contaminated with chemical or biological agents. He is a coauthor of EPA’s Fentanyl Fact Sheet for U.S. EPA Federal On-Scene Coordinators who are providing technical advice to state and local responders who may encounter environmental contamination from the fentanyl class of synthetic opioids (including fentanyl analogs). Currently, he is leading multiple research efforts to assess decontamination options for fentanyl contaminated building materials and approaches for effective decontamination of contaminated PPE. Dr. Oudejans holds a Ph.D. in Experimental Physics from Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands (1994).
Speaker Bio: Shannon Serre
Dr. Shannon Serre is with the EPA's Office of Emergency Management working in the CBRN Consequence Management Advisory Division. He is focused on the response and recovery from a chemical, biological, or radiological incident. He has been involved in several field scale projects including: the Bio-response Operational Testing and Evaluation (BOTE) project, Underground Transport Restoration (UTR) project, Operational Testing and Evaluation of Chemical Remediation Technologies (OTECRA) and most recently with the Analysis for Coastal Operational Resiliency (AnCOR) project. Shannon has a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Utah.
Abstract:
The EPA is enhancing the nation’s ability to respond to and recover from a chemical warfare agent (CWA) incident through research to develop environmental countermeasures and response exercises/training. Recently, researchers and responders were brought together to conduct the Operational Testing and Evaluation of Chemical Remediation Activities (OTECRA) field study. Activities included an initial contamination event, pre-decontamination sampling, decontamination, post-decontamination sampling, with waste and data management conducted throughout the exercise.
Malathion was applied as a CWA simulant across the floor and walls. Sampling teams conducted pre-decontamination sampling to establish the concentration of malathion on contaminated surfaces. Sampling was conducted with cotton gauze wipes and then analyzed on-site by EPA’s Portable High-throughput Integrated Laboratory Identification System (PHILIS). Larger floor samples were collected using a wet-vacuum composite sampling approach. Once decontamination of the building interior was finished, sampling teams conducted post-decontamination sampling. Two rounds of testing were conducted during the field study to evaluate different decontamination approaches. For the first round, Decon7, an activated hydrogen peroxide containing product, was applied using a low-pressure spraying system. The second round of testing involved the spraying of undiluted bleach. Prior to leaving the exclusion zone, responders and equipment were decontaminated to minimize the potential for cross contamination and introduction of the contaminant to areas outside the exclusion zone. Samples throughout the exercise were closely managed with the use of a QR code attached to each container that was scanned in the field and lab. Electronic tablets were used by samplers to scan the ID and input information into ESRI’s Field Maps application on collection method, sample type, sample matrices, start and end times, observations, and photographs of the sample location. All waste generated during OTECRA was contained, segregated, and staged for characterization, sampling, and disposal. Information from sampling and analysis on how well the decontaminant performed was used to develop waste acceptance criteria and material disposal options. Testing remediation activities in a realistic scenario provides greater confidence in the success of an actual remediation performance.
Development of a Chemical Decontamination for Critical Areas
Speaker Bio: Janlyn Hope Eikenberg
Ms. Janlyn Eikenberg is a chemist in the Decontamination Sciences Branch with over 13 years of experience. She holds a B.A. in chemistry and political science from St. Mary's College of Maryland and an M.S. in Environmental Engineering and Science from the Johns Hopkins University. She is responsible for the development of the mini-panel approach to increase sample through-put and efficiency in developmental and formulaic screening studies. She has done extensive work using the chemical resistance method (CARM) analysis for evaluation of mitigation technologies. Ms. Eikenberg is the author/co-author of over 17 publications, including 2 open literature, peer-reviewed articles.
Abstract:
Toxic chemical release, either accidental or deliberate, is a deadly, tragic, and chaotic event. Contamination of key points of infrastructure, including airports and seaports, can hinder life-saving response by medical and military personnel and can slow evacuation efforts. This program aims to develop a rapid, cost effective way of decontaminating large scale infrastructure and minimize the risk for vehicles and personnel which must traverse through a contaminated area. Use of traditional decontaminants is not feasible for wide area applications due to cost, preparation, storage, and efficacy limitations associated with scale up. This work explored the use of reactive formulations based on widely available commodity chemicals for direct remediation and the use of chemically used agricultural and construction polymers for encapsulation of the contaminant. A large variety of reactive chemicals were screened for their ability to remove chemicals from concrete and asphalt surfaces. The best performers were then downselected based on logistics considerations, including price, environmental impact, health and safety, scalability, and material compatibility. Of these chemicals, peroxysulfate oxidants provided the best profile of efficacy and logistics over other chlorinated oxidants and caustic bases. Current efforts focus on refining and evaluating a formulation based on these underlying chemistries. Barrier polymers for encapsulation have been studied and evaluated by testing the reduction in the contact (dermal) hazard and vapor (inhalation) hazard. Polymers such as bitumen sealcoats, acrylic soil stabilizers and methyl cellulose stockpile sealant proved to be moderately effective at encapsulation of contaminated concrete and asphalt. Both encapsulation and direct remediation are being further explore as options for chemical critical area decontamination. This technology aims to fit an unfilled need and enable first responders, victims and military personnel to more safely operate in a contaminated environment.
Chemical Hot Air Decontamination: The Effect of Elevated Humidity
Speaker Bio: Joseph Myers
Joseph Myers is a chemist for the Decontamination Sciences Branch at DEVCOM Chemical Biological Center (CBC). He has more than 18 years of experience working with chemical agents which includes more than 13 years of U.S. government service. He is currently serving as principal investigator for multiple decontaminant process development efforts, including ClearDecon, for which he holds several U.S. Patents, and Chemical Hot Air Decontamination (CHAD). Mr. Myers brings a strong mechanical aptitude to his projects and is able to blend engineering and chemistry into his research. Mr. Myers earned an American Chemical Society (ACS) accredited B.S. in Chemistry from Towson University (Towson, MD) in 2005.
Abstract:
Funded by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), Chemical Hot Air Decontamination (CHAD) Is a method of decontamination which uses heat and humidification to remove/detoxify the contaminants from assets without the need for harsh chemicals, such as bleach or caustic. CHAD requires contaminated items to be placed inside an enclosure that can be heated and humidified, which has air flowing through to allow any evaporated contaminants to be removed.
The Decontamination Sciences Branch (DSB) of US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Chemical Biological Center (CBC) has utilized CHAD in small-scale laboratory studies as a method of removing contamination from absorptive surfaces, complex features, and realistic small items. Humidification up to 95% RH at 170°F (~243 g water/m3 air) have been evaluated. CHAD has been shown to remove a significant amount of contamination from materials within 8 h.
Active Matter for Chemical Decontamination
Speaker Bio: Eric Languirand
Dr. Eric Languirand has his BS from Towson University in Forensic Chemistry and Chemistry in 2012 and his Ph.D. from University of Maryland Baltimore County in Chemistry in 2017. Dr. Languirand is a Research Chemist at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center in the Chemical Analysis and Physical Properties Branch. Current research revolves around explosive anomaly detection, vapor detection, and chemical surface detection. His interests are in applied spectroscopy and applied material science.
Speaker Bio: Matthew Collins
Dr. Matthew Collins is originally from Maryland and graduated from the University of Maryland: College Park with a B.S. in chemistry (minor in Nanoscience & Technology) in 2014. Afterwards, he received his Ph.D. under Dr. Ayusman Sen at Penn State University in 2020 studying the interaction-driven transport of molecules and colloids in microfluidic devices. Afterwards, he started working at U.S. Army DEVCOM CBC for the Chemical Analysis & Physical Properties Branch. His current work involves studying the development of active matter/micromotor applications for the DoD.
Abstract:
Micromotors are one type of active matter that can achieve motion on the micro-scale by converting chemical energy into mechanical movement. Active matter provides greater movement than what is provided typically through Brownian motion. This increase in movement provides more opportunities for the active matter to interact with an analyte of interest to increase the kinetics of reactions such as decontamination to remove hazardous chemicals. One technique to decontaminate a solution is to employ metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) that have been robustly studied. Here, we seek to combine active matter and MOFs to more quickly decontaminate a solution containing chemical agent.
We synthesize UiO66 as an active matter particle for decontamination via a SiO2@UiO66@Pt or SiO2@UiO66@Ag stratified particle. The SiO2 base particle is used to define the size and shape of the UiO66 active matter to better control the mechanism of propulsion. We show significantly greater movement speed than Brownian motion with both bubble and electrophoretic propelled MOF-based active matter. Additionally, we show the ability of active matter to reduce the overall decontamination time of a simulant and a chemical warfare agent by increasing the decontamination reaction kinetics. Overall, these MOF micromotors can be used in the future to decontaminate hazardous chemicals.
Materials and Waste Management | December 5, 2023 from 10:00 am - 11:40 am
Moderator: Jeffrey Szabo, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Jeff Szabo has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and a M.S. and PhD in Environmental Engineering, all from the University of Cincinnati and is a registered Professional Engineer in Ohio. He has worked for the U.S. EPA for 18 years. He conducts and manages water security research projects at EPA’s Test and Evaluation (T&E) facility and the Water Security Test Bed (WSTB) at the Idaho National Lab (INL). These projects include examining chemical, biological, and radiological contaminant persistence on drinking water and wastewater infrastructure and evaluation of decontamination and water treatment methods.
Speakers: Krause | Matsler | Burdsall | Durnal
Best Practices to Improve the Resiliency of Disaster Waste Management
Krause Recording
Speaker Bio: Amy Schwarber Krause
Mrs. Amy Krause is a scientist in Research and Development at the EPA working in the Waste Management and Oil Spill Branch. Her research focuses on landfill microbiology, debris generated from disasters, contaminants in landfills, and other current waste management issues. She also participates in lab and field work throughout the United States. Mrs. Krause has a master's in environmental toxicology from the University of South Alabama, and degrees in biology and art from Bellarmine University.
Abstract:
Extreme weather events make it critical for communities to plan for effectively managing large quantities of disaster waste and debris while maintaining their ability to receive everyday municipal waste. Recent disasters (floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, fires, volcanoes, landslides, tornadoes, winter storms, and dust storms) create environmental impacts, social hardships, economic costs, and a tremendous amount of waste. For example, Wakabayashi et al. (2017) projected that a probable earthquake and accompanying tsunami can create 52 times the amount of municipal solid waste generated in a standard year. In addition, climate change impacts waste infrastructure, and communities will need to adapt as the amount, frequency, and severity of disasters increase. This presentation summarizes a literature review that answers questions regarding what has been successful in helping communities not only manage disaster waste but also become more resilient to disasters. It also provides an up-to-date summary of literature while identifying knowledge gaps regarding resiliency in waste created by disasters. Best approaches to improve waste infrastructure resiliency are assessed and grouped into four areas: reducing waste before a disaster occurs; using green infrastructure to curb the intensity of a disaster’s effects; implementing a disaster waste management plan in the community; and using tools/models to help before, during, and after the disaster. Understanding how communities are applying resilient infrastructure will help other communities that may find themselves also responding to flooding, fires, tornadoes, and other natural events that may be exacerbated due to the impacts of climate change.
Disaster Decision-Making to Support Sustainable Waste Management
Speaker Bio: Marissa Matsler
Dr. Marissa Matsler is a Social Scientist at the U.S. EPA's Office of Research and Development. She studies infrastructure systems using an interdisciplinary social-ecological-technological systems (SETS) lens, with a particular focus on the resilience of water and disaster waste management systems. She has a PhD in Urban Studies and Planning from Portland State University, a Masters of Environmental Management from the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, and a B.S. in Marine Biology from Oregon State University.
Abstract:
Disaster debris removal is essential for community recovery and resilience. However, it is a lengthy, costly, and logistically challenging part of response and recovery operations. Managing waste in a disaster situation requires the coordination of multiple entities at different levels of government, each acting under distinct authorities, all of which may vary with the type of incident (e.g., hurricane, animal disease outbreak). We present the results of social science research on decision-making about disaster debris removal. We discuss the social processes that underlie waste management decisions made at the federal, state, and local level before and after an incident. Sustainable options for waste disposal, such as recycling of electronics or metals, composting of vegetative debris or animal carcasses, and reuse of materials, are difficult to implement in disaster situations despite guidance and best intentions. Participants in this research outlined a number of obstacles they faced when making disposal choices. In our presentation, we describe the on-the-ground factors of disposal decision-making which include the influence of cost and reimbursement processes, non-disaster waste practices, and relationships. Finally, our presentation offers solutions grounded in social processes that can support more environmentally and socially sustainable disposal.
Assessment of Traditional Treatment and Disposal Methods for Biosolids Contaminated with Bacillus globigii Spores
Speaker Bio: Adam Burdsall
Dr. Burdsall received a Bachelor of Science degree in geology with a minor in chemistry from Wittenberg University specializing in sedimentology. He earned a Master's degree in Earth and Environmental Sciences and a Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences from Wright State University studying geochemistry and remediation using iron oxide minerals. Dr. Burdsall completed a 3 year ORISE Post Doc at the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright Patterson Airforce Base studying bioaerosols and advanced oxidation methods. He is now an EPA postdoc continuing to study bioaerosol release and biosolids decontamination for pathogen destruction.
Abstract:
Should biosolids be contaminated via an intentional malicious release or natural outbreak of Bacillus anthracis spores, a water resource recovery facility (WRRF) may need to consider if their treatment processes can sufficiently inactivate this pathogen. Three methods that are commonly employed to treat biosolids include lime stabilization, aerobic composting, and thermal incineration. They were investigated in the study in this paper through literature review followed by lab-scale experimentation. This research seeks to understand the conditions under which these traditional methods of pathogen treatment in wastewater biosolids may leave behind some surviving organisms that could cause the hazard to persist after treatment.
The literature component of this investigation was sufficient to indicate that lime stabilization may not be suitable to use with biosolids contaminated with Bacillus anthracis spores. The literature indicated that lime stabilization introduces calcium ions that the organism utilizes during sporulation, fortifying its protection and making the treatment counterproductive to the goal of spore inactivation. Therefore, the experimental component of this investigation focused on aerobic composting and incineration.
Although one 60°C control experiment inactivated Bacillus globigii to below detection limits, lab scale aerobic composting efforts had difficulties in achieving and maintaining the sufficient temperature throughout the composter to inactivate Bacillus globigii without also inactivating the organisms that perform aerobic composting. Over time, the composter’s temperatures throughout decreased despite attempts to heat the composter. A bench-scale fluidized bed incinerator was designed to mimic full-scale incinerators. Although conventionally assumed to be the most effective of the biosolids treatments, there were conditions under which incineration may leave viable organisms, particularly when the contaminated biosolids were fairly dry upon entering the incinerator.
The results from this investigation may help WRRFs to assess their facility’s biosolids treatment methods and their ability to meet the needs for treating Bacillus contaminated material that enters their facility.
Efficacy of a Commercial Decontamination Product on Opioids, Adulterants, and Clandestine Laboratories
Speaker Bio: Evan Durnal
Evan Durnal is a Chemist and Program Manager at MRIGlobal with over 18 years of experience in the test and evaluation of COTS and emerging chemical detection and decontamination products. He is well versed on the development and validation of chemical collection devices and CBRNE-related detection and decontamination products. In addition to holding multiple hazardous chemical handling and response certifications, Mr. Durnal has experience in chemical agent handling, as well as the synthesis, detection, and decontamination of fentanyl and numerous analogs. In addition to multiple peer-reviewed publications and professional presentations, he has been recognized internationally in the Economist and has been the recipient of multiple MRIGlobal awards. In 2021, he was named one of Ingram’s magazine’s “40 Under 40” and in 2014, he co-founded and developed CBRNE Tech Index, an online CBRNE-related product database powered by MRIGlobal that now hosts over 6,000 users per month as an unbiased source for CBRNE product information. Mr. Durnal holds a B.S. in Molecular Bioscience from Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas and an M.S. in Criminal Justice from the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Missouri.
Abstract:
MRIGlobal evaluated the efficacy of a COTS decontamination product for efficacy against Fentanyl, Xylazine, and Methamphetamine. The product is established as a broad-spectrum decontaminant which shows good reactivity and efficacy against a variety of Chemical and Biological materials.
Target threats were chosen to provide data on current and emerging threats, as well as the long-standing issues associated with cleanup of clandestine methamphetamine production sites.
The product was evaluated against these drugs of abuse by MRIGlobal in a static reactor at a single application ratio of 1:10 target chemical to active decontaminant. The product showed activity against all target chemicals at the 1:10 ratio, reducing by 95% or greater in 5 minutes or less.
Biological Agents: Decontamination I | December 5, 2023 from 1:00 pm - 2:40 pm
Moderator: Worth Calfee, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Dr. Worth Calfee is senior research microbiologist with EPA’s Homeland Security and Materials Management Division within the Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response. He has over 25 years of research experience with 15 years at the U.S. EPA in decontamination and consequence management of Chemical, Biological, and Radiological (CBR) agents. His research foci include sampling, decontamination, and management of wastes from CBR contamination incidents. Dr. Calfee earned his Ph.D. in 2007 from East Carolina University, where he studied the impacts of anthropogenic disturbance on estuarine microbial communities. He also earned a B.S. in molecular biology from East Carolina University in 1999. Prior to joining the U.S. EPA, Dr. Calfee studied quorum sensing, regulation of carbohydrate metabolism, and virulence factor expression in the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, at East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine.
Speakers: Gazi | Wood | Hintz | Boddu, Morales
Logistically Viable Approaches for Wide Area Decontamination of Bacillus anthracis Using Surrogate Spores
Speaker Bio: Ehsan Gazi
Ehsan Gazi is a Principal Scientist in CBR Hazard Management at the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and is a chartered chemist with the Royal Society of Chemistry. He obtained his PhD in Chemistry from the University of Manchester in 2004, where he developed spectroscopic and mass spectrometric methods for subcellular imaging of tumour cells and classifying disease states of cancer tissue biopsies. Ehsan then took a 3-year post-doctoral scientist position at the Paterson Institute for Cancer Research (Manchester) where he further developed these techniques and in-vitro culture methods to understand the biomolecular role of lipids in tumorigenesis, publishing more than 20 peer-reviewed papers in these areas. In 2010, he joined the CBR Hazard Management team at Dstl, where he developed analytical methods and empirical models to determine the mass-transport of chemical warfare agents in porous materials. Since 2013, Ehsan has been driving the defence provision for logistically viable methods of decontaminating wide areas of Bacillus anthracis using agricultural approaches, firstly under a US DTRA funded programme and more recently as part of the UK’s National Technical Advisory Group for Recovery. During this period, he has led a multidisciplinary team of agricultural spray equipment manufacturers, formulation scientists and microbiologists to develop capabilities for remediating wide open spaces to complex urban environments.
Abstract:
The potential public health and economic consequences from the deliberate release of hazardous and persistent Bacillus anthracis (B. anthracis) spores into the urban environment are enormous. Beyond the immediate challenges of managing the consequences of such an event, technical options are required that can be deployed at scale to decontaminate affected urban areas.
The UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is responsible for remediation following a homeland CBR event. Defra has partnered with Dstl to establish a National Technical Advisory Group for Recovery (NTAG-R), which is developing practical, low-volume (≤300 mL/m2) and scalable decontamination strategies by pulling-through state-of-the-art equipment and processes used in the agricultural industry.
We present on the sporicidal efficacy of pH adjusted peracetic acid (PAA) decontaminant, through a combination of track-sprayer experiments using agricultural equipment and dose-response data collected under controlled meteorological conditions. We determined the lowest dose (volume and concentration) of decontaminant needed to achieve target levels of hazard reduction on porous and non-porous surfaces, representative of urban materials.
A vehicle mounted sprayer system (VMSS), suitable in scale for operation on urban highways, was designed and manufactured with commercial-off-the-shelf components to deliver target doses onto spore contaminated surfaces. These full-scale system trials demonstrated that ground applications of 3.5 ± 0.3 % w/w PAA, using as low as 75 mL/m2, resulted in 7 log10 reduction on non-porous steel surfaces; whereas, on porous brick surfaces higher applications of 143 mL/m2 were required to achieve ≥5.5 log10 reduction. Novel protocols were developed to determine dose-response on vertically orientated surfaces, (while enabling surfaces run-off) using a further refined PAA decontaminant delivered in vertical spray mode by the VMSS.
Furthermore, we discuss technical risks such as using local water sources for decontaminant preparation and its impact on spray delivery, as well as the challenges in delivering a uniform initial target dose on vertical surfaces. Finally, we present containment level 3 suspension tests, which confirmed that the developed decontaminant can achieve at least the measured level of hazard reduction when applying the same treatment conditions to fully virulent B. anthracis spores.
Neutralization of Ricin Toxin on Building Interior Surfaces Using Liquid Decontaminants
Speaker Bio: Joseph Wood
Joe is a senior research engineer with U.S. EPA’s Office of Research and Development, in the Homeland Security and Materials Management Division. He has been with the EPA since 1991 (previously doing air pollution engineering work) and has been conducting decontamination-related research since 2004. His research primarily involves the testing, evaluation, and development of technologies that can be used to decontaminate or sterilize surfaces and environmental matrices contaminated with biological agents such as Bacillus anthracis spores and biotoxins such as ricin. He also investigates related areas such as the fate/transport and sampling of bioagents and biotoxins; treatment and disposal of waste materials; and engineering aspects of decontamination. He is the primary author or co-author for over 35 peer-reviewed journal articles and over 90 U.S. EPA published reports. He holds a master’s degree in environmental engineering from the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) and is a licensed professional engineer. Joe is also HAZWOPER-certified.
Abstract:
Ricin is a highly toxic protein, capable of inhibiting protein synthesis within cells, and is produced from the beans of the Ricinus communis (castor bean) plant. Numerous recent incidents involving ricin have occurred, many in the form of mailed letters resulting in both building and mail sorting facility contamination. The goal of this study was to assess the decontamination efficacy of several commercial off-the-shelf cleaners and decontaminants (solutions of sodium hypochlorite [bleach], a quaternary ammonium compound, sodium percarbonate, peracetic acid, and hydrogen peroxide) against a crude preparation of ricin toxin. The ricin was inoculated onto four common building materials (pine wood, drywall joint tape, countertop laminate, and industrial carpet), and the decontaminants were applied to the test coupons using a handheld sprayer. Decontamination efficacy was quantified using an in-vitro cytotoxicity assay to measure the quantity of bioactive ricin toxin extracted from test coupons as compared to the corresponding positive controls (not sprayed with decontaminant). Results showed that decontamination efficacy varied by decontaminant and substrate material, and that efficacy generally improved as the number of spray applications or contact time increased. The solutions of 0.45% peracetic acid and the 20,000-part per million sodium hypochlorite provided the overall best decontamination efficacy. The 0.45% peracetic acid solution achieved 97.8 to 99.8% reduction with a 30-min contact time.
Cu- and Ag-mediated Inactivation of L. pneumophila in Bench- and Pilot-Scale Drinking Water Systems
Speaker Bio: Chelsea Hintz
Chelsea is a Biologist with the U.S. EPA in Homeland Security and Materials Management Division. She received her PhD in 2022 from the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Cincinnati as a member of the Booth lab. She is broadly interested in stream ecology. Her dissertation work focused on determining the impact of stream burial on stream ecosystems and evaluating the near-term impacts of stream daylighting (restoration) in urban streams. She conducts research that informs policy and management of water resources.
Abstract:
Legionella pneumophila (Lp) is an opportunistic drinking water pathogen that can cause infections through the inhalation of Lp-containing aerosols. Lp can occur in premise plumbing systems as these systems often have low disinfection residual, high surface area-to-volume ratios, water stagnation, and various water temperatures and velocities. These are all features that can lead to the colonization of Lp within plumbing systems. In this work the use of copper and silver ions was evaluated at the bench- and pilot-scale to determine 1) effective independent concentrations of copper and silver for inactivating Lp, 2) the impact of various water quality parameters on the effectiveness of copper and silver ions and 3) the effectiveness and practicality of using dissociation to produce ions at the pilot scale. At the bench-scale, it was determined that 0.3 ppm and 0.03 ppm of Cu and Ag, respectively, were effective at inactivating Lp in 5 hours in experimental buffer. But, in dechlorinated filter-sterilized tap water, the same concentrations of Cu were not effective, and the effectiveness of Ag was slower. pH and dissolved inorganic carbon content were found to be important parameters in determining if the use of Cu and Ag ions is appropriate. At the pilot-scale, dissociation was successfully used to produce Cu and Ag ions, but target levels of ions were difficult to achieve, and no impact was observed on Lp concentrations. Results from this study suggest that water chemistry in a plumbing system can impact the effectiveness of Lp disinfection using Cu and Ag.
Thermocatalytic Deactivation of Airborne Chemical and Biological Agents: Design of a Mobile Hot-Zone Deactivation (MHD) System
Speaker Bio: Veera Boddu
Veera is a Senior Scientist (Remediation Research) with the U.S. EPA, at Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. He is with the Wide Area and Infrastructure Decontamination Branch, Homeland Security Research Program, of Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response (CESER), Office of Research and Development (ORD).
In the past, he worked for the U.S. Dept of Agriculture, in Peoria, and for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research & Development Center (ERDC), in Champaign, IL. He has diverse research experience, has published about 90 peer reviewed journal articles, 20 Army Technical reports, edited/co-authored 4 books, 5 patents, and about 100 conference presentations. His research focused on Military explosives properties and synthesis, Wastewater Treatment, Air pollution control, Biopolymers, Biocomposites, and Biochar.
Dr. Boddu is a Chemical Engineer, a Registered Professional Engineer (PE) in the state of Missouri) and a Board-Certified Environmental Engineer by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers, and a Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.
Speaker Bio: Justin Morales
Justin Morales joined the EPA as an ORAU student contractor in February 2022. He is an experimental researcher with the Homeland Security Materials Management Division (HSMMD) at Research Triangle Park, NC. His main project is on the development of the mobile hot-zone decontamination system for chemical and biological airborne agents. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Florida State University and master’s degree at North Carolina State University, both in mechanical engineering. During his graduate studies, he took a year off from classes to intern at NASA Langley Research Center (Virginia).
Abstract:
One of the major focuses of the Homeland Security Research Program at EPA is to develop technologies and tools to address chemical and biological warfare agents (CBA) released accidentally or by terrorist actions. It is important that CBA contaminated air at high exposure settings (e.g., schools and office buildings) needs to be cleaned prior to the entrance of emergency response and cleanup crews. Airborne CBA, in general, are designed to be persistent in the air for long-time. Allowing the airborne CBA to settle would lead to diffusion of the agents into hard-to-reach creeps and crevices, porous surfaces, and HVAC systems.
A Mobile Hot-Zone Deactivation (MHD) system for destroying airborne chemical and biological threat agents was designed and fabricated at EPA’s Research Triangle Park facilities. The MHD system draws airborne agent simulants through a high-temperature catalytic oxidation zone (steel-wool coated with titania or alumina catalyst powder). During future experiments, deactivated air will next enter a cooling zone where it cools the air to a reasonable exit temperature (80-100°F). The cooled air will then pass through a perlite filter to capture agent residue and by-products. The air will finally pass through a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter to ensure all contaminants are captured before it is reintroduced into the surrounding area. The system is expected to provide sufficient residence time to transform the CBA into non-toxic and environmentally benign products. This research is in direct support of EPA’s Office of Emergency Management’s (OEM) preparedness for consequence management. The MHD system is designed to safely destroy/deactivate bacterial agents like spores of Bacillus anthracis, and toxins like ricin, and/or other airborne chemical agents Sarin and Sulfur Mustard (HD) and other agents including Toxic Industrial Chemicals and Toxic Industrial Materials (TICs/TIMs).
This presentation includes the details of the design and fabrication of the MHD system and preliminary results of the deactivation airborne simulants.
Decision Support | December 5, 2023 from 1:00 pm - 2:40 pm
Moderator: Paul Lemieux, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Paul Lemieux is a research engineer in EPA’s Office of Research and Development in the Homeland Security and Materials Management Division of the Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response. Paul has a B.S. in Chemistry from Seattle University and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Utah. He has been with the EPA’s Office of Research and Development for 36 years initially studying formation and control of pollutants from combustion systems, and since 2002 has been working on management of wastes from cleanup after chemical/ biological/ radiological incidents and foreign animal disease outbreaks and has been working on decision support tools to aid decision makers during wide-area contamination incidents. Recently he has been back working with his combustion research colleagues investigating thermal destruction of perfluoro alkyl substances (PFAS).
Speakers: Rojas | Davis | Rodgers | Senerth
Fast Estimation of CBR Contamination in the Urban Landscape, a Library Approach
Speaker Bio: Diego Mauricio Rojas Blanco
Diego Rojas is a postdoctoral research associate at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) working with the Countering weapons of mass destruction (CWMD) team. He was trained as a mechanical engineer at Universidad de Los Andes, Colombia; and earned a PhD in Earth Science and Engineering from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia in 2021. His interests are computational mechanics, numerical modeling, computational fluid dynamics and atmospheric pollutant transport. He is currently working on the Quick Urban Industrial Complex (QUIC) code suite, a fast solver for atmospheric pollutant transport in the urban landscape with application to CBR incidents and wildland fire.
Abstract:
Atmospheric dispersion of contaminants in the urban environment is a complex problem involving meteorology, turbulent transport, and agent-specific behavior (deposition, evaporation, photochemistry, etc.). Traditional Gaussian plume methods fail to capture the influence of buildings, a crucial aspect of the urban landscape. While physics-based approaches such as computational fluid dynamics (CFD) offer a high-fidelity solution to this problem, they’re still far from being able to produce results in real time, let alone an ensemble of simulations. We propose an alternative approach for the fast visualization of simulated atmospheric CBR plume dispersion and deposition in the urban environment: a library of simulation results. This methodology essentially trades storage for preparation and compute time: having a set of pre-computed simulations with selected meteorological conditions and source locations for a given city. Our tool is based on the Quick Urban and Industrial Complex (QUIC), a software suite developed at LANL for the fast simulation of CBR plume dispersion in the urban environment. QUIC can provide a fast (in the order of minutes) solution of the plume, allowing for efficient construction of the simulation library. This approach allows authorities, who may only have approximate information of a CBR incident, to obtain a fast estimate of the extent of the outdoor plume and deposition; concentration and dosage, and deposition levels both outdoors and indoors. This information could be used for estimating evacuation/decontamination requirements in a matter of minutes during the initial stage of emergency response or could be used for training and exercises. The tool is set up such that non-experts can use the library and even set-up and run new cases. We’ll show examples of our library approach to CBR incidents in several different cities and run the software in real-time if we are allowed to connect our own laptop.
Chemical Fires Module Phase II
Speaker Bio: Stephen Michael Davis
Dr. Stephen Davis has been a materials engineer at Battelle Memorial Institute for the last five years. He earned his Ph.D. from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in 2015 and completed his post-doctoral studies at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. His research interests include various aspects of explosives and combustion.
Abstract:
The Hazard Prediction and Assessment Capability (HPAC) is used by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) Technical Reachback team to estimate an array of predictive chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) hazard scenarios. HPAC capabilities to assess the downwind hazards associated with the high-temperature decomposition of chemical species are limited. The DTRA Chemical Fires Module (CFM) was developed to enhance modeling of scenarios where toxic industrial chemicals/materials (TIC/TIM) are undergoing decomposition (via combustion or pyrolysis) as a result of fires.
The prototype CFM contained a database with two non-flammable chemical species (chlorine and bromine) and one flammable chemical (styrene) and was capable of modeling a variety of scenarios including fires contained within a structure or open to the atmosphere. The CFM now has an expanded capability to include representative chlorocarbons, sulfated hydrocarbons, organophosphates, hydrazine derivatives, and nitriles. Application of the CFM in a benchmark study of the Formosa Chemical Plant Explosion (2004) predicted downwind hazards from soot and hydrogen chloride comparable to the first-responder utilized evacuation distances. Additional improvements to the tool include updated air entrainment effects for outdoor fires, a prototype incident source model (ISM) for HPAC, and the development of a tool to assist analysts with database updates.
A Multi-Criteria Geographic Information System Screening Approach for Prioritizing Response Activities
Speaker Bio: Molly Rodgers
Molly Rodgers is a senior project manager with ERG with over 20 years of experience supporting projects for the U.S. EPA that address diverse topics covering environmental policy analysis, information technology, data management and visualization, and technical outreach. She holds a B.S in Environmental Science, Master’s in Information Technology and is a Certified Scrum Master. Ms. Rodgers has dedicated her career to developing interactive tools that leverage cross-programmatic data to enhance data visualization and analysis in support of research and decision-making. She has provided continuous technical support to EPA’s Homeland Security Research Program (HSRP) for the last 20 years, creating and supporting over a dozen decision support tools to help EPA response partners increase their preparedness and resiliency.
Abstract:
This presentation describes the development of a decision support tool, the Priority Response Environmental Screening Tool (PRESTO), designed to assist the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in partnership with state and local decision-makers, in prioritizing locations for initial cleanup operations aimed at reducing risks to public health and the environment after a natural disaster or chemical, biological, or radiological (CBR) incident. In the event of a natural disaster or release of CBR contaminants, for example, EPA and its partners would need to determine which locations should be prioritized to prevent the spread of contamination and mitigate long-term risks. Decision makers are often hampered by having too little or too much data, such that it is not obvious how relevant data can be incorporated into a decision-making framework. PRESTO provides a flexible and adaptable framework to address the challenges of aggregating data in a meaningful way to facilitate quickly identifying and understanding the resulting information to inform decisions. Results of a hypothetical analysis of a 10-mile radius study domain centered on Philadelphia, PA will be presented to demonstrate how PRESTO could inform disaster response planning following an incident. The presentation will illustrate how nine data sets measuring a range of issues reflecting risks to human health and the environment were used and show how substantial differences can exist in which locations would be prioritized for response depending upon which data aggregation scheme is applied.
Support for Decision-Making in Response to Environmental Emergencies: the GRADE Evidence-to-Decision Framework for Environmental & Occupational Health
Speaker Bio: Emily Senerth
Emily Senerth specializes in evidence synthesis and the integration of evidence into decision-making in environmental and occupational health. Her work is aimed at getting trustworthy data into the hands of policymakers and helping them to account for all relevant factors when making decisions.
Abstract:
Background: Environmental health (EH) decision-makers are adopting systematized approaches for collecting and evaluating evidence about the health effects of exposures, yet there is no prevailing approach for integrating this evidence into decisions about site remediation, hazard mitigation, establishing safety standards, and other urgent and emergent scenarios. These decisions are often made in the context of low certainty evidence and with far-reaching impacts on stakeholders, necessitating a standard and transparent process to ensure the credibility of recommended actions.
Objective: To introduce the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) Evidence-to-Decision (EtD) framework for environmental and occupational health (EOH).
Methods: We conducted a two-step development effort beginning with a systematic review and narrative synthesis of published and public EH decision frameworks, followed by a modified Delphi process, engaging stakeholders from the following perspectives: risk assessment and management, nutrition and food safety, cancer, and socio-economic analysis. Identified decision-making criteria, including the existing GRADE EtD perspective for health system and public health decisions, were narratively synthesized.
Results: We combined 38 source frameworks and over 500 individual decision considerations with feedback from the Delphi panel (n = 20) to develop a consolidated and comprehensive decision framework, incorporating concepts from existing GRADE guidance, EH literature, and stakeholders. The EtD framework for EOH includes a scoping and contextualization process and twelve assessment criteria, which establish: the priority of the problem, desirable and undesirable effects of alternatives and the balance of these effects, certainty of the evidence, variability and uncertainty about values, resource implications, cost effectiveness, acceptability by stakeholder groups, and feasibility.
Conclusions: Policymakers, agencies, regulators, and other decision-makers may consider adopting the GRADE EtD for EOH to improve consistency and transparency in their approach to disaster mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.
Biothreat Contagion Preparedness Research | December 5, 2023 from 3:00 pm - 4:40 pm
Moderator: Katherine Ratliff, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Dr. Katherine Ratliff is a principal investigator at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Research and Development, working under EPA’s Homeland Security Research Program in the Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response. She uses numerical models, lab, and field-scale studies to develop and evaluate tools for remediating environmental contaminants, including leading EPA’s research to evaluate the efficacy of different air treatment technologies against airborne pathogens. Dr. Ratliff received her B.A. in Earth and Environmental Sciences from Vanderbilt University and a Ph.D. in Earth and Ocean Sciences from Duke University.
Moderator: Sanjiv Shah, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Dr. Sanjiv R. Shah is a Senior Microbiologist in the Homeland Security & Materials Management Division within the U.S. EPA’s Office of Research and Development. Since 1998, while working for the U.S. Army’s Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) and the EPA-ORD, he has been actively contributing to biodefense research, especially, in the development of analytical methods; and development, and test and evaluation of biosensors technologies for rapid, specific, sensitive, and high-throughput detection of biothreat agents in environmental and water samples. He has been involved in several biodefense research collaborations at the national and international level. As a member of many interagency biodefense/homeland security expert panels, committees, and work groups, he has been contributing to many national programs, including the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Prior to 1998, he worked at premier research institutions such as the NIH, and the University of Maryland Medical School, and also, in pharmaceutical industries, to enrich his basic and applied research experience in microbiology, molecular biology, molecular neurobiology, industrial microbiology, and antibiotic fermentations. He holds B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Microbiology. He has published his research in international journals and reports. He has received many prestigious awards from the U.S. Army, EPA, and other highly reputed scientific institutions for his contributions to biodefense research.
Speakers: Simpler, Mainelis | Wong | Howard Preparedness | Rastogi, Katoski
Efficacy and Safety of Aerosolized Triethylene Glycol for Airborne Pathogen Inactivation in Indoor Spaces
Speaker Bio: Mitchel Simpler
Bio not available.
Speaker: Gediminas Mainelis
Dr. Gediminas Mainelis is a Professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, USA. He has a Bachelor’s degree in physics from Vilnius University, Lithuania, and a Ph.D. in Environmental Health from the University of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. He has over 20 years of experience in biological aerosol research and related topics. Dr. Mainelis has focused on developing and validating airborne agent sampling and control technologies, bioaerosol exposure assessment, and airborne microbiome. Over the past years, his research focused on microbial exposure and its mitigation, including measuring SARS-CoV-2 transmission indoors and developing and validating technologies to inactivate airborne microbial agents. His research efforts have resulted in over one hundred and twenty peer-reviewed publications and book chapters. His recent publications presented work on virus transmission and control indoors and its inactivation using antimicrobial air treatment. In addition, multiple papers from Dr. Mainelis’s group have been included in most downloaded article lists of various peer-reviewed journals. His laboratory has been awarded several patents for developing novel bioaerosol collectors. Dr. Mainelis has served as Chair of the Bioaerosols and Health-Related Aerosol working groups of the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR). He is currently an editor (associate) of the Aerosol and Air Quality Research journal. Prof. Mainelis is a recipient of the Research Excellence Award from Rutgers University and the Lyman A. Ripperton Environmental Educator Award presented by the A&WMA.
Abstract:
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of airborne transmission of infectious diseases, including those transmitted by humans. Infected individuals release respiratory droplets and aerosol particles when speaking, coughing, sneezing, or singing, with smaller aerosols (< ~ 5μm) remaining airborne for extended periods. Indoor spaces pose a higher risk due to airborne persistence, necessitating effective mitigation strategies. While masks, ventilation, and filtration help reduce airborne virus concentrations, there is a need for additional technologies to inactivate the virus in the air, where it poses the greatest threat.
Triethylene glycol (TEG), a substance with established germicidal properties, was identified as a potential solution. Aerosolized TEG demonstrated potent germicidal effects against respiratory pathogens, particularly when vapor molecules condense on particles containing microbes. Grignard Pure™, a product containing TEG, was developed to provide a safer way to aerosolize TEG for air treatment purposes.
This presentation will demonstrate the efficacy and potential application of Grignard Pure™ as an airborne antimicrobial agent. Laboratory experiments have demonstrated Grignard Pure™’s ability to effectively reduce airborne concentrations of MS2 bacteriophage, a surrogate for SARS-CoV-2 by 2-3 logs at GP aerosol concentrations of 0.04-0.5 mg/m3 (corresponding to TEG aerosol concentrations of 0.025 to 0.287 mg/m3). Multiple testing scenarios, including tests conducted by the US EPA, consistently showed significant reductions in viable airborne virus concentrations when using Grignard Pure™. Furthermore, when tested at the same aerosol concentrations against other microbes such as bacteria, mold, and TB, Grignard Pure™ demonstrated a 2-5 log reduction.
Additionally, comprehensive safety evaluations of TEG revealed its negligible toxicity when used as directed. Toxicological data showed minimal adverse effects in animal studies, and independent analyses confirmed TEG's safety for use at concentrations employed in Grignard Pure™. TEG has also been used in various commercial applications over the past 70 years at much higher concentrations without reported health issues. Considering the persistent threat of airborne pathogens, there's a pressing need for additional protective measures. Aerosolized TEG, such as Grignard Pure™, offers a promising solution to quickly inactivate airborne pathogen particles.
Environmental Risk Assessment & Mitigation of COVID-19 and Other Pathogens: Field Sampling, Laboratory Analysis, and Assessment of Disinfecting Technologies
Speaker Bio: Judith Chui Ching Wong
Judith is presently a Director at the Environmental Health Institute, National Environment Agency, where she oversees the Microbiology and Molecular Epidemiology Division. She leads a multidisciplinary scientific team working on various One Health initiatives including surveillance and risk assessment of environmentally-transmitted and vector-borne diseases, and environmental monitoring of antimicrobial resistance. Judith was integral in setting-up Singapore’s Wastewater-Based Epidemiology Programme, which expanded from a research initiative to a country-wide wastewater monitoring network. She is also involved in the development of various environmental mitigation and technical advisories for COVID-19 and other dangerous pathogens.
Judith currently serves as the Deputy Lead for the Environmental Transmission and Mitigation Co-op for the Programme for Research in Epidemic Preparedness and Response (PREPARE) under Singapore’s Ministry of Health. She is also an ASEAN-Australian One Health Fellow with Murdoch University, Australia.
Abstract:
SARS-CoV-2 virus is primarily spread through respiratory droplets, but also has the potential to spread via contact with contaminated surfaces and inhalation of aerosols. Here, we summarise efforts in environmental sampling and risk assessment of SARS-CoV-2 in various settings throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as laboratory and field assessments on the efficacy of novel disinfecting technologies.
Environmental sampling of SARS-CoV-2 and Mpox was carried out to support case-investigations and to assess the risk of transmission via contaminated environments. Detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in air conditioner filter samples following a nosocomial outbreak of COVID-19 cases in a hospital ward suggested the likelihood of aerosol-based transmission. Further, the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in air (37.8-66.7%) and fomite (7.3-28.6%) samples collected from various community premises, highlighted the need for good ventilation and regular cleaning, respectively, to minimize disease spread.
In addition to SARS-CoV-2, surveillance and risk assessment was also expanded to Mpox where live virus was isolated from samples collected from surfaces of the toilet seat, chair, and dust samples from linen used by a Mpox case. Mpox DNA was also detected in air samples (40.0-100%), surface swabs (36.8-94.7%), dust samples (100%), and toilet wastewater (0.0-100.0%) collected from the case’s room, highlighting the need to focus on disinfection of high-risk surfaces and the need for respiratory protection.
To mitigate the risk of environmental transmission, particularly in prominent locations such as areas with high footfall or higher likelihood of transmission, technologies such as gaseous ozone disinfection and self-disinfecting surface coatings were evaluated in the field. Efficacy was assessed using a coronavirus surrogate (murine hepatitis virus) and gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus). In field settings, 3.65- and 4.73- log reduction in virus and bacteria loads, respectively, were achieve for gaseous ozone disinfection of buses. In contrast, modest results were obtained in field trials of self-disinfecting surface coatings. Although disinfection efficacy ranged from 0.2-3.1-log reduction of virus load in laboratory trials, all products tested had no disinfection efficacy (0-0.1-log reduction) after two months in the field, suggesting limited product durability. Collectively, these findings have helped to guide public health response and inform disinfection protocols.
Efficacy of Chemical Disinfection Against SARS-CoV-2 and Surrogate Coronaviruses on High-Touch Surface Materials
Speaker Bio: Megan W. Howard
Dr. Meg Howard is a Senior Scientist with Battelle National Security. She started working on Coronaviruses in 2002 and has continued in global emerging infectious disease research ever since. Her experience is interdisciplinary, often crossing fields, and she has contributed to science for over 20 years in the areas of decontamination, field operations, emerging and zoonotic infectious disease, international biosafety and biosecurity biosurveillance, computational analysis and biomedical science. She has extensive experience leading research on Human and Agricultural biothreat agents, including Select Agents. She has worked across CENTCOM, EUCOM and PACOM supporting efforts for the EPA, DTRA, DHS, NIH and other organizations and has published >18 peer-reviewed papers, numerous reports and holds multiple patents.
Abstract:
The EPA-approved disinfectant list features multiple products for use on high-touch surface materials, however the majority of these are registered for use only on non-porous materials. Many high-touch surfaces fall between non-porous and porous materials. The efficacy of four commercially available, EPA-approved chemical disinfectants (Clorox Total 360 (C360), Bleach solution, Vital Oxide and Peroxide) were assessed against SARS-CoV-2 and a surrogate coronavirus (MHV-A59) on stainless steel, latex-painted drywall tape, Styrene Butadiene rubber (rubber), and bus seat fabric. Testing evaluated spray (no touch with contact time) and spray and wipe (wipe immediately post-application) methods of cleaning either immediately (T0) or 2 hours (T2) after contamination with each virus and was evaluated via infectious virus recovery, with a subset tested for viral RNA (vRNA) recovery. Disinfectant efficacy varied by virus, method, disinfectant, and material. Bleach, C360 and Vital Oxide reduced surface MHV load by >3- log10 for both Spray and Spray and Wipe methods. However, reduction of surface SARS-CoV-2 exhibited differential efficacy between Spray only and Spray and Wipe methods, with the Spray and Wipe method showing an increase in log reduction for most disinfectants and materials tested. Differential efficacy was also observed between virus species. While limited differences were observed between MHV-A59 and SARS-CoV-2 for C360, significant differences were observed with bleach solution. In particular, bleach application via the Spray only method resulted in far greater efficacy against MHV-A59 than SARS-CoV-2, but resulted in nearly equal efficacy when the Spray and Wipe method was used. Interestingly, when vRNA and infectious virus recovery of SARS-CoV-2 were compared, disinfectant treatment biased vRNA recovery over infectious virus recovery; PCR also yielded positive detection when no infectious virus was detected by culture. These results suggest that RT-PCR monitoring post-disinfection could inflate the estimates of potential risk post-disinfection, and careful consideration of surveillance approaches relying solely on RT-PCR for coronaviruses should take care in reporting their outcomes. Our results suggest that disinfection efficacy is material-, method-, and disinfectant-specific, and method and surrogate choice is critical for determining disinfectant efficacy for emerging threat agents.
Disinfection of Sensitive Device Surfaces Contaminated with COVID-19 Surrogates and Roles of Organic Burden
Speaker Bio: Vipin Rastogi
Vipin Rastogi is a trained molecular microbiologist with over 25 years of experience in Chemical Biological Defense Research. Between 2002 and 2023, he Served as a Senior Research Biologist for the DEVCOM - Chemical Biological Center (formerly ECBC) at APG, MD. His expertise lies in “Disinfection and Decontamination of biological warfare agents and emerging viral threats”. He joined EPA as a Senior Microbiologist in July 2023 with service location at Fort Meade, MD. Today, Dr Rastogi will present some of the work he completed on UVC disinfection of COVID19 viral surrogate, at APG, MD.
Speaker Bio: Sarah Katoski
Sarah Katoski is a Microbiologist working within the of the Research and Operations Directorate at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Chemical Biological Center (CBC). After completing a B.S in Biochemistry she earned her master’s in advanced biotechnology with a concentration in Biodefense from Johns Hopkins University. Her graduate research focused on the rapid detection and identification systems of virus or bacteria that significantly contributed to bridging work from USAMRIID with CBC. As a member of the BioDefense Branch, she leverages her expertise with biological warfare agents, surrogates, and simulants to develop inactivation and decontamination methods. Currently, Sarah is working on a DTRA funded program to develop a decontaminant for critical areas.
Abstract:
Household and workplace surface disinfection of respiratory viruses commonly uses disinfectants prepared as aqueous solutions. Aqueous-based solutions are unsuitable for sensitive surfaces, such as computers, laptops, and mobile devices. Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) ultraviolet is a non-invasive approach for sensitive device surfaces. Phase 1 of this study evaluated the efficacy of viral disinfection of three commercial devices, i.e., LumiCleanse Portable Tower, Cretors UV Sterilization Chamber, and a hand-held wand on keyboard plastic, aluminum, tempered glass, and chair fabric surfaces. The two most promising of the effective UVC sources, the chamber and tower were transitioned to Phase 2 of the testing. In this phase, a cell phone, laptop screen and touchpad, and computer mouse were the test surfaces. This study included two COVID-19 viral surrogates, i.e., Phi-6 and HuCoV-229E. Approximately 4-6 logs of viral load were challenged on test surfaces. In Phase 2, the role of three organic bioburdens, 5% fetal bovine serum (FBS), synthetic sputum, and simulated saliva was investigated using aluminum as the test surface. Efficacy results from both Phases will be summarized and presented in this briefing. Overall, the results show effective disinfection of HuCoV-229E (75-150 mWatts/sq-cm for >3-log reduction) on tested surfaces by UVGI except for the fabric (requiring >2000 mWatts/sq-cm for 1-2 log reduction). The results differed significantly with Phi6, depending on the test surface. A range of 216-6000 mWatts/sq-cm was needed for three of the test surfaces to achieve a 3-log reduction, and almost 7000 mWatts/sq-cm was required for a 1-log reduction with fabric. Interestingly, the inclusion of bioburden with simulated saliva or FBS with both test surrogates did not appear to affect the disinfection efficacy of UVGI. However, including synthetic sputum significantly reduced the effectiveness of UVGI against both test surrogates. Shadowing, presence of interfering materials such as dust/dirt on surfaces and on light sources are important considerations before applicability of UVGI as an effective sensitive device disinfection approach in real-life scenario.
Applications of Social Science - Decontamination, Sampling and Risk Communication | December 5, 2023 from 3:00 pm - 4:40 pm
Moderator: Brittany Kiessling, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Brittany Kiessling is a Social Scientist in EPA’s Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response. She has worked at EPA for 7 years, conducting social science research related to community resilience as well as the social dynamics of environmental cleanup processes. Her research highlights the importance of community relationships, trust building, and culturally informed approaches.
Speakers: Wells | Kaufman | Seeger | Beal
Environmental Justice Organizing Around Chronic Environmental Contamination
Speaker Bio: E. Christian Wells
Dr. E. Christian Wells is Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Center for Brownfields Research and Redevelopment at the University of South Florida, where he served previously as the Founding Director of the Office of Sustainability and as Deputy Director of the School of Global Sustainability. He is an environmental anthropologist whose research investigates the drivers of WaSH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) insecurity, critical infrastructure transitions, and the socio-economic and environmental legacies of land use. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, an Interdisciplinary Research Leader with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and past-President of the Florida Brownfields Association, the state’s largest nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to brownfields redevelopment and environmental justice.
Abstract:
While there are a growing number of success stories of communities with environmental justice challenges achieving procedural, distributive, or even restorative justice, what happens in situations of chronic environmental contamination where hazardous substances persist for prolonged or undetermined periods, or where decontamination and remediation are impossible? In these cases, environmental justice organizing expands to include coping with contamination and creating strategies for resilience. In this paper, I use a case study approach to examine the racially segregated community of Tallevast in the central Gulf Coast of Florida, where our research team has been working with a community-based nonprofit to advocate for environmental justice in the wake of groundwater contamination caused by the American Beryllium Company and its subsidiaries since the 1960s. Oral histories documented from community residents indicate that their environmental justice organizing has evolved to include not just the human and environmental health impacts of the contamination and efforts to decontaminate soil and groundwater, but also the social, political, and economic determinants of health and persistence in the community.
Minimizing Infectious Disease Outrage with Communication and Behavioral Intervention Strategies
Speaker Bio: Sean G. Kaufman
Sean Kaufman is the CEO and Founding Partner of Safer Behaviors. Before becoming a CEO in 2011, Sean was a Senior Associate and Director of the Science and Safety Training Program at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. He was responsible for training professionals working in BSL3 and BSL4 laboratories around the world.
Abstract:
Infectious diseases challenge every basic human need. They can contaminate food, air, and water; cause fear for both the body and within the mind; kill or separate us from our family and friends; and make us reliant upon others for our own health and safety - challenging our self-esteem and value.
Risk Communication Challenges with PFAS Contamination of Drinking Water
Speaker Bio: Matthew W. Seeger
Matthew W. Seeger, Ph.D. is a Distinguished University Professor of Communication at Wayne. State University and Fellow of the International Communication Association. His research concerns crisis and emergency risk communication, agency responses and coordination, failure of complex systems and risk sensing and recognition.
Abstract:
Risk communication is a well-developed field of research and practice (Renn, 2020; Balog-Way, McComas, & Besley, 2020). Risk communication is “the systematic dissemination of information to diverse audiences (e.g., individuals, communities, and institutions) facilitating their informed, independent decision making about the existence, nature, and/or severity of risks and hazards affecting health, safety, and the environment,” (DiClemente & Jackson, 2016, p. 378). The goal of risk communication is to help all affected parties to make informed choices about matters of concern to them (Renn, 2020).
Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS) are a class of compounds that have recently identified as drinking water contaminants. The EPA PFAS Action Plan (2020) notes that “Risk communication and engagement are critical for EPA to effectively support communities across the United States that are addressing PFAS” (p. 16). Effective risk communication and community engagement around issues of PFAS contamination has created a number of challenges (Ducatman et al., 2022). Much of the official communication about PFAS, however, has not tailored to specific audience needs and community conditions nor has it effectively addressed the challenges surrounding emerging yet ubiquitous contaminates.
The presentation summarizes current research on risk communication and the limited research on communicating PFAS risk to affected parties. Based on experiences with the State of Michigan with PFAS contamination, the communication ecosystem for PFAS communication is described and specific communication challenges are identified including high uncertainty about the impact of PFAS, sources of contamination and mitigation strategies, misleading information, and low levels of trust among the public. The effectiveness of risk PFAS risk communication requires understanding community risk perception through direct engagement with impacted stakeholders (Harclerode, et al, 2021). Maintaining openness, honesty and transparency is challenging when contamination sources are unclear and is related to the development of trust and credibility. The frequency of communication and message consistency when multiple agencies and organizations are involved are also important (Seeger, 2006).
This presentation concludes by offering a set of best practices for addressing the challenges of PFAS communication.
Applying Risk Communication Best Practices During Emergency Response
Speaker Bio: Madeline Beal
Madeline Beal joined EPA’s Office of the Administrator, Office of Public Affairs as Senior Risk Communication Advisor in 2019. She coordinates and informs risk communication efforts across the agency with a focus on creating needed infrastructure and tools to support the diversity of issues EPA communicates about. She joined EPA from the National Science Foundation (NSF) where she oversaw communications for the Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Directorate. There she focused on using the science of science communication to improve the reach and content of a wide variety of NSF products. Her career also includes communication roles at the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, as well as bench science roles at the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Madeline earned a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins where she focused on environmental health and risk communication and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Tufts University.
Abstract:
This presentation will highlight the best practices in risk & crisis communication literature, including models and theories, that can be applied to respond to environmental disasters and emergencies. The session will include audience interaction and engagement through practice scenarios.
Biological Agents: Sampling & Analysis | December 6, 2023 from 1:00 pm - 2:40 pm
Moderator: Worth Calfee, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Dr. Worth Calfee is senior research microbiologist with EPA’s Homeland Security and Materials Management Division within the Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response. He has over 25 years of research experience with 15 years at the U.S. EPA in decontamination and consequence management of Chemical, Biological, and Radiological (CBR) agents. His research foci include sampling, decontamination, and management of wastes from CBR contamination incidents. Dr. Calfee earned his Ph.D. in 2007 from East Carolina University, where he studied the impacts of anthropogenic disturbance on estuarine microbial communities. He also earned a B.S. in molecular biology from East Carolina University in 1999. Prior to joining the U.S. EPA, Dr. Calfee studied quorum sensing, regulation of carbohydrate metabolism, and virulence factor expression in the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, at East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine.
Moderator: Sanjiv Shah, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Dr. Sanjiv R. Shah is a Senior Microbiologist in the Homeland Security & Materials Management Division within the U.S. EPA’s Office of Research and Development. Since 1998, while working for the U.S. Army’s Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) and the EPA-ORD, he has been actively contributing to biodefense research, especially, in the development of analytical methods; and development, and test and evaluation of biosensors technologies for rapid, specific, sensitive, and high-throughput detection of biothreat agents in environmental and water samples. He has been involved in several biodefense research collaborations at the national and international level. As a member of many interagency biodefense/homeland security expert panels, committees, and work groups, he has been contributing to many national programs, including the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Prior to 1998, he worked at premier research institutions such as the NIH, and the University of Maryland Medical School, and also, in pharmaceutical industries, to enrich his basic and applied research experience in microbiology, molecular biology, molecular neurobiology, industrial microbiology, and antibiotic fermentations. He holds B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Microbiology. He has published his research in international journals and reports. He has received many prestigious awards from the U.S. Army, EPA, and other highly reputed scientific institutions for his contributions to biodefense research.
Speakers: Collins | Howard Sampling | Roumeliotis | Pottage
Validation of Air Sampling for SARS-CoV-2 and Mpox Virus Using the Sartorius MD8 Airport
Speaker: Sean Collins
Sean Collins is a Biosafety Research Scientist in the Biosafety, Air and Water Microbiology group at the UK Health Security Agency. He has been part of the group for over 2 years. Sean has worked on many projects while working for the Biosafety group. This includes environmental microbiology, decontamination, aerobiology, water microbiology as well as virus work which includes helping carry out diagnostics in the mpox outbreak response. Sean was involved in investigating how different viruses such as mpox and SARS-CoV-2 persist as aerosols in the environment. Sean has also taken part in air sampler validation work to ensure when these samples are taken on sampling trips that the use of the equipment is optimised. Sean has also processed and analysed samples taken from different environments such as hospitals and workplaces.
Abstract:
Isolation of viable SARS-CoV-2 or mpox virus (MPXV) from air samples collected in contaminated environments has been challenging. It is important to determine if viable virus titre recovered is a true reflection of virus quantity in the environment or if sampling or transport procedures have an impact on virus viability. In this study, contaminated Sartorius MD8 Airport gelatine filters were validated to determine the effect of storage conditions and sampling on virus viability and recovery.
SARS-CoV-2 and MPXV were separately aerosolized and used to directly contaminate MD8 gelatine filters. Contaminated filters were used to study various storage conditions: immediate processing, overnight storage at 4°C, and overnight storage at -80°C. Virus titre was enumerated using plaque assay. The effect of the air sampling process on virus viability was studied using SARS-CoV-2. Following contamination, filters were attached to an MD8 Airport sampler that was then operated for different durations (50 L/min for total volumes of 250-2000 L). Contaminated filters were processed immediately with virus titre determined by plaque assay.
A reduction in recoverable SARS-CoV-2 was witnessed on filters not processed immediately. Contaminated filters stored overnight at 4°C, processed, then frozen at -80°C prior to plaque assay resulted in the lowest recovery of viable virus with a 1.5 log10 reduction compared to those processed immediately. In contrast, recoveries of MPXV from contaminated filters were comparable across all of the storage conditions.
Immediate processing of filters resulted in improved virus recovery with all storage conditions affecting recovery for SARS-CoV-2. The duration of air sampling using an MD8 Airport does not appear to affect the recovery of viable virus with similar SARS-CoV-2 titres identified irrespective of sampling time. It is likely that the gelatine matrix protects the viral particles from the desiccating effects of prolonged air sampling.
As most real-world air samples will require transportation and storage prior to laboratory analysis, it is imperative that users fully validate their sampling and processing methods to identify the efficiency of recovery.
Sampling and Recovery of SARS-CoV-2 from High-Touch Surfaces by Sponge Stick and Macrofoam Swab
Howard Sampling Recording
Speaker Bio: Megan W. Howard
Dr. Meg Howard is a Senior Scientist with Battelle National Security. She started working on Coronaviruses in 2002 and has continued in global emerging infectious disease research ever since. Her experience is interdisciplinary, often crossing fields, and she has contributed to science for over 20 years in the areas of decontamination, field operations, emerging and zoonotic infectious disease, international biosafety and biosecurity biosurveillance, computational analysis and biomedical science. She has extensive experience leading research on Human and Agricultural biothreat agents, including Select Agents. She has worked across CENTCOM, EUCOM and PACOM supporting efforts for the EPA, DTRA, DHS, NIH and other organizations and has published >18 peer-reviewed papers, numerous reports and holds multiple patents.
Abstract:
Effective characterization of biothreat agents is a critical component of emergency response operations. In the face of emerging pandemic threats, determining the most effective sampling methods is crucial to developing a common approach to monitoring disinfection efficacy and obtaining useful environmental surveillance data. To evaluate the sampling efficacy of commonly deployed methods against SARS-CoV-2, this study explored the sampling efficiency and limits of detection (LOD) of macrofoam swab and sponge stick sampling methods on both infectious SARS-CoV-2 and viral RNA (vRNA) recovery from surfaces. SARS-CoV-2 was suspended in a 5% soil load and contaminated onto six-inch square coupons of stainless steel (SS), Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene plastic (ABS), bus seat fabric, or Formica. Infectious SARS-CoV-2 recovery was more efficient than vRNA recovery for all materials except Formica (macrofoam swab) and ABS (sponge stick). Recovery of vRNA and infectious SARS-CoV-2 virus varied by material, sampling method, and time post-contamination, suggesting that multiple variables should be considered when interpreting surveillance results. Interestingly, the elapsed time post-contamination only significantly affected infectious virus recovery, while vRNA recovery demonstrated limited to no change at up to 2 hours post-contamination. These results suggest that SARSCoV-2 vRNA remains detectable after viral infectivity has dissipated. This study showed that a complex relationship exists between sampling method, material, time post-contamination to sampling, and recovery of SARS-CoV-2. In conclusion, data show that careful consideration should be used when selecting surface types for sampling and interpreting SARS-CoV-2 vRNA recovery with respect to presence of infectious virus.
Emergency Response Planning: Laboratory Support Considerations
Speaker Bio: Peter Roumeliotis
Peter is an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Research Fellow at the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Water, Water Infrastructure and Cyber Resilience Division. He provides strategic and communications support to the Water Laboratory Alliance, helping prepare water utilities and laboratories to respond to contamination incidents. Peter has a BA in Biology and the Science, Technology, and Society program from Vassar College and an MPH in Environmental Health Sciences from Yale University.
Abstract:
Due to the growing complexity and multifaceted nature of water security and emergency response, the Water Sector, including water and wastewater utilities, water testing laboratories, and other response partners, are seeing an increasing need for preparedness to all-hazards water contamination incidents. Increasing Water Sector readiness can look like many things, including developing an emergency response plan (ERP), participating in water security training, and establishing a support network. The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Water Infrastructure & Cyber Resilience Division has developed tools and resources to help the Water Sector navigate and enhance their preparedness.
A possible challenge when dealing with a water contamination emergency is a surge of water sampling and analysis that can quickly overwhelm resources or require laboratory expertise unavailable to most utilities. Proper preparation and planning by utilities are critical for reducing emergency response times and overcoming unforeseen challenges. Hence, including analytical support considerations when developing ERP is a best practice. EPA’s Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA) offers free tools and training to assist the Water Sector with implementing analytical support considerations into their preparedness strategies.
When in situations where contaminant analyses exceed in-house capabilities or capacity, what are your options? In this presentation, WLA resources that will assist you set procedures to ensure accessing laboratory that meets quality standards for managing a water contamination incident will be highlighted. WLA’s resources include:
- Water Laboratory Alliance Response Plan (WLA-RP).
- Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) Template.
- Analytical Preparedness Full Scale Exercise Toolkit (AP-FSE).
- Compendium of Environmental Testing Laboratories (Lab Compendium).
These preparedness resources help advance EPA’s goal of building a more secure, water-resilient nation. Attendees will leave this presentation with a suggestion of action items to develop or enhance their laboratory support strategy and incorporate it into their ERP.
Environmental Sampling for Mpox Virus in Domestic, Workplace and Hospital Settings
Speaker Bio: Thomas Pottage
Thomas Pottage is a Biosafety and Biorecovery Team Leader in the Biosafety, Air and Water Microbiology group at the UK Health Security Agency. He has been part of the group for over 18 years. Thomas has worked on a range of projects during his employment at UKHSA within the Biosafety, CBRN, decontamination/remediation fields, environmental microbiology, aerobiology and waste management. He has been involved in a number of projects investigating Biosafety and Biocontainment, through both practical and desk-based studies. Thomas has also led sampling missions investigating contamination of different environments with infectious agents, such as Bacillus anthracis, SARS-CoV-2 and mpox virus, whilst also investigating their environmental persistence, as aerosols within the laboratory and decontamination. Thomas was a Key Expert for EU CBRN CoE Project 67 where he is responsible for the overall planning and implementation of the Biological Waste Management activities under this project, such as country assessments, Best Practices, Train the Trainer programmes and sampling and remediation of sites contaminated with infectious pathogens. Thomas has worked within the CBRN fields for projects with the UK Home Office managing the production of the UK Recovery Handbook for Biological Incidents (UKRHBI), guiding the user through an evidence-based framework to identify the most appropriate recovery and waste management options after deliberate, accidental, or environmental contamination of a range of areas. Thomas is an experienced trainer in Biosafety and Biosecurity, and Good Microbiological Practice both in the UK and internationally, having delivered high containment working courses in the UK and Jordan. During the West Africa Ebola outbreak, he was team lead for the European Mobile Laboratory whilst in Liberia, working at high containment within a low resource infrastructure.
Abstract:
Following cases of mpox in the UK, air and surface sampling was conducted in different settings associated with positive cases to determine the extent of viral contamination. The sites investigated included residential, office-based, inpatient, and outpatient settings.
Surfaces were sampled using Copan UTM swabs; air sampling was performed using the Sartorius MD8 Airport with gelatine filters. Mpox virus (MPXV)-specific qPCR was used to identify presence of MPXV DNA; viral isolation was used to determine the presence of viable virus.
Widespread contamination was observed in both residential (37/42 samples qPCR positive, 88.1%; viable virus identified in 6/10 samples selected for viral isolation) and inpatient settings (61/80 qPCR samples positive, 76.3%; viable virus identified in 2/4 samples selected for viral isolation including from a bed linen change air sample). In comparison, limited MPXV DNA contamination was identified in both office (3/34 samples positive, 8.8%; no viable virus identified) and outpatient settings (3/32 samples positive, 9.4%; however, viable virus was identified in 1/3 positive samples).
Several factors likely contribute to DNA and viable virus levels observed in different settings including the time spent in that location by an infected patient, the time from contamination until sampling was performed, and the frequency of cleaning within those environments. These data contribute to our understanding of environmental MPXV contamination and may inform infection prevention and control measures in different environments. Similar investigations are required for other emerging pathogens to assist with preparedness activities when cases of high consequence infectious diseases are identified.
Hazard Response | December 6, 2023 from 1:00 pm - 2:40 pm
Moderator: Chelsea Hintz, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Chelsea is a Biologist with the U.S. EPA in Homeland Security and Materials Management Division. She received her PhD in 2022 from the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Cincinnati as a member of the Booth lab. She is broadly interested in stream ecology. Her dissertation work focused on determining the impact of stream burial on stream ecosystems and evaluating the near-term impacts of stream daylighting (restoration) in urban streams. She conducts research that informs policy and management of water resources.
Speakers: Boe, Deagan | Williams | Hofacre | Chung
Game Over is Not an Option: The Application of Serious Games to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Emergency Response Mission
Speaker Bio: Timothy Boe
Timothy Boe is a Geographer with the U.S. EPA’s ORD. Timothy’s work primarily focuses on response and cleanup issues following chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) incidents. He has also been developing computer-based decision support tools to aid decision makers in responding to wide-area contamination incidents. Before joining the EPA, Timothy worked as an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education Fellow where he conducted research on wide area CBRN remediation. Timothy has an M.S. and a B.S. in Applied Science from Arkansas Tech University.
Speaker Bio: Jordan Deagan
Jordan Deagan is a Software Development Contractor with Oak Ridge Associated Universities, currently working with the US EPA’s ORD. Jordan’s primary work has been assisting in the development of computer-based decision support tools to aid decision makers in responding to wide-area contamination incidents. He has also been developing virtual reality applications as a demonstration of their effectiveness as a training tool. Jordan has a B.A. in Computer Science from New College of Florida.
Abstract:
The significance of disaster response training and exercise activities on emergency personnel are well documented throughout literature. Both have the ability to encourage teamwork, increase training and equipment adequacy, and develop perceptions of job risk. Emergency responder expertise is a direct derivative of training and exercise. The impacts of these activities are bolstered with increasing realism. Nevertheless, training, especially full-scale disaster exercises are expensive, time consuming, difficult to organize, and can be limited in scope. Furthermore, the processes involved in planning and conducting exercises have remained largely the same for decades. Having the ability to implement full-scale exercises with minimal resources and maximum control and quality would be of great interest to the emergency response and scientific community.
Serious games refer to digital or analog games that combine entertainment with other purposes such as education, training, simulation, or behavior modification, leveraging game design principles, mechanics, and technologies to achieve intended outcomes. Serious games have become increasingly popular in recent years due to their ability to provide a safe and controlled environment for trainers and trainees. This presentation will examine how serious games are being used to enhance the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (U.S. EPA’s) emergency response mission, by improving the ability of the emergency response community to quickly and effectively respond to a range of environmental emergencies, including oil spills, chemical, biological, and radiological releases, as well as natural disasters. This approach supports the protection of human health and the environment by applying serious games in three specific areas: scientific modeling and simulation, emergency response training, and decision-making and strategy development. This presentation will demonstrate a series of simulations and training platforms developed by the U.S. EPA to address each of these topic areas. The presentation will delve deeper into the challenges involved in adopting new technologies and fostering collaboration with local, state, and federal subject-matter experts. It will also outline the next steps for the U.S. EPA as it seeks to expand its presence in the field of serious games, moving from a "game over" mentality to a "game on" mindset.
Accessing Chemical Hazard and Safety Data via the Internet
Speaker Bio: Antony Williams
Dr. Antony Williams joined the Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure at U.S. EPA in May 2015 where he is a cheminformatician focused on the delivery of the center’s data to the scientific community. He was the founder of ChemSpider, a database of >120 million chemicals with 100,000 users per day. He initiated the CompTox Chemicals Dashboard at EPA and now focuses his efforts on multiple proof-of-concept projects supporting distribution of chemistry-related data, modeling, building a database of analytical methods and mass spectra, and general analytical data management.
Abstract:
In recent years the Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure at the US Environmental Protection Agency has delivered a number of valuable web-based applications which provide access to a myriad of data types for hundreds of thousands of chemicals. The data include property data, in vivo and in vitro hazard data, exposure data, and numerous other data types of interest to the scientific community. To date the preeminent application to date has been the CompTox Chemicals Dashboard which presently delivers data for over 1.2 million chemicals. One aspect of delivering highly functional mature production software systems is the development of proof-of-concept applications to garner community interest in novel ways of interrogating and visualizing data. These tools include the Hazard Profile and Safety Profile modules which integrate publicly available data streams into a web-based interface delivering information regarding nine categories of GHS data (the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals), details regarding measures of accidental release (including cleanup and disposal), and firefighting measures. This presentation will provide an overview of publicly available proof-of-concept modules and new tools in development delivering access to chemistry-related data to a variety of stakeholders. Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of the U.S. EPA.
Field Demonstration of Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Waste Debris Volume Estimation
Speaker Bio: Kent Hofacre
Mr. Hofacre has been with Battelle for 36 years conducting research in the areas of aerosol science with an emphasis on applications to CBRNE defense and homeland security. Mr. Hofacre has a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Akron and a M.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from the Ohio State University. Mr. Hofacre has supported EPA in research areas of air monitoring technology assessments, air purification technology assessments, and most recently, biological agent sampling and analysis assessments.
Abstract:
Battelle and EPA evaluated the effectiveness of UAV platforms to perform volumetric measurements of various types of debris (e.g., biomass such as fallen vegetation, stacks of building material, and other debris) using lidar and structure from motion (SfM) photogrammetry. The challenge of this experiment is to compare the chosen platform’s measurements to a more accurate method, which may not exist. The evaluation approach included three phases. Phase 1 included data collection of simple structures and materials of known volume, such as piles of wood pallets that can be accurately measured by hand and configured into different shapes. The pallets were used to establish a “reference cube” that could be surveyed next to varied materials in each subsequent step. Phase 2 included larger piles such as fallen tree debris pushed into a more compressed pile (with excavators) as well as raw fallen trees, stacks of recycled lumber, pipes, and other miscellaneous items. Overall, the goal was to first establish that the UAS remote sensing methodologies could accurately measure volumes of simple structures which can be validated by hand. In Phase Two, we sought to evaluate the differences in volumetric measurements of more complex piles while also establishing if UAS-based surveys are advantageous as the literature notes it should. In addition to validating remote sensing methods with hand measurements, we evaluated UAS-lidar versus UAS-structure from motion (SfM) surveys and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) mapping using a rover station. The various methodologies will be evaluated against one another for accurately estimating volume, applicability in the field, and collection time Phase 3 included survey of previously un-surveyed area used as a test bed to determine the effectiveness of the platform to survey piles that had previously been unplanned and unmeasured.
The goal of this project was not to spend unlimited time seeking the most accurate measurements possible for UAS remote sensing methods, but rather to establish a reasonable level of improved accuracy in volumetric measurements over the current ground methods. Best practices included using a GPS base station on site, ground control points, employing flight parameters to gather dense point cloud data, and employing established point cloud error reduction techniques during post processing. Percent differences between air and ground volumetric measurements will be presented.
PHILIS Mobilization Response to East Palestine Train Derailment
Speaker Bio: Sang Chung
Bio not available.
Abstract:
Objective: Summarize the Portable High-throughput Integrated Laboratory Identification System (PHILIS) response and hybrid operational support for the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. The Train Derailment Emergency Response Action included laboratory and staff mobilization, method development, sample preparation and analysis, data reduction and reporting. On February 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern train carrying toxic chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. Region 5 EPA identified the following list of hazardous materials of concern: vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate, ethylhexyl acrylate and ethylene glycol monobutyl ether. PHILIS chemists developed methods to provide analytical support for the emergency response action and deployed mobile labs to Columbiana, Ohio to provide rapid turnaround results to support spill response cleanup operations. More than 1,500 soil, sediment and groundwater samples have been analyzed to-date in support of remediation efforts. Cleanup efforts will continue through the end of the year and possibly into 2024. Due to the health and environmental concerns associated with the materials released into the environment because of the derailment, the ability to provide accurate and timely results was very important for this project. PHILIS possesses the unique ability to provide quick analytical turn-around-times while mobilized at a site and generate legally defensible data and Level 4 data packages.
Mobile laboratories were mobilized to Columbiana, OH, where PHILIS performed on-site analytical work for the project. GC/MS instruments were used for the analysis of vinyl chloride, benzene, n-butyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate and 2-butoxyethanol. An additional instrument was utilized for the analysis of full list 8270E samples that were presented for analysis from local farmer’s fields. Samples were received, logged in, prepared, analyzed and the data reduced and reported within 12 -24 hours of receipt, depending on priorities established by the EPA Project Manager. PHILIS implemented hybrid operations that consisted of on-site staff performing sample receiving and processing, preparation, and instrument analysis. Remote support was provided for the peer review of analytical results, reporting, quality assurance confirmation, preparation, and issuance of all data reports/packages. PHILIS utilizes CICSO security, site to site VPN over AT&T FirstNet First Responder cellular network and warehouse facility internet.
Biological Agents: Decontamination II | December 6, 2023 from 3:00 pm - 4:40 pm
Moderator: Sanjiv Shah, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Dr. Sanjiv R. Shah is a Senior Microbiologist in the Homeland Security & Materials Management Division within the U.S. EPA’s Office of Research and Development. Since 1998, while working for the U.S. Army’s Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) and the EPA-ORD, he has been actively contributing to biodefense research, especially, in the development of analytical methods; and development, and test and evaluation of biosensors technologies for rapid, specific, sensitive, and high-throughput detection of biothreat agents in environmental and water samples. He has been involved in several biodefense research collaborations at the national and international level. As a member of many interagency biodefense/homeland security expert panels, committees, and work groups, he has been contributing to many national programs, including the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Prior to 1998, he worked at premier research institutions such as the NIH, and the University of Maryland Medical School, and also, in pharmaceutical industries, to enrich his basic and applied research experience in microbiology, molecular biology, molecular neurobiology, industrial microbiology, and antibiotic fermentations. He holds B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Microbiology. He has published his research in international journals and reports. He has received many prestigious awards from the U.S. Army, EPA, and other highly reputed scientific institutions for his contributions to biodefense research.
Speakers: Archer | Smith | Ratliff | Gabbert
Comparison of Commercially Available Electrostatic Sprayers and Decontaminants for Personnel Biological Decontamination
Speaker Bio: John Archer
John Archer is a Research Industrial Hygienist within EPA’s Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response (CESER), Homeland Security and Materials Management Division (HSMMD). His current research areas include testing and evaluation of emergency responder chemical, biological and radiological (CBR) agent and toxic industrial chemical detectors, novel bioaerosol sampling methods and strategies, exposure assessment to CBR threats, and chemical/biological decontamination of responder personal protective equipment (PPE). Mr. Archer holds an M.S. in Environmental Sciences and Engineering from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is also a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH).
Abstract:
The personnel decontamination (decon) line is an essential part of emergency response efforts following a biological agent release for ensuring containment and minimizing exposure risk to potentially biohazardous materials on responder personal protective equipment (PPE). EPA has been conducting personnel decontamination research for biological agents through investigation of sprayer applications, including electrostatic sprayers (ESS), to inform response personnel on effective decon line practices and data-driven decision making. The use of ESS may offer several advantages over conventional decon spray applications by simplifying personnel decon and minimizing reaerosolization and aqueous-based waste generation.
Pilot-scale studies with manikins in PPE were conducted for evaluating surface decontamination efficacy using multiple commercially available ESS to simulate a portion of the personnel decon line. Manikins were outfitted with Level C PPE and inoculated with approximately 107 Bacillus atropheous var. globigii (Bg) spores in seven distinct areas. Manikins were then sprayed for a specified time using combinations of electrostatic sprayer types (battery-powered handheld and plug-in types) and commercially available liquid decontaminants (10% diluted bleach, hydrogen peroxide-based, and peroxyacetic acid-based products). The entire manikin surface was wipe sampled to evaluate decontaminant efficacy for each location, which was determined by comparing the average number of colony forming units (CFUs) from manikin positive controls to the average number of CFUs from decontaminated test manikins. Reaerosolization during the spray process was measured by collecting high-volume air samples and enumerating for CFUs.
Results indicate effective decontamination (> 6 log10 reduction) was achieved with the plug-in type ESS using 10% diluted bleach. Effective decontamination was not observed with any combination of the battery-powered handheld ESS and decontaminant chemistries, including diluted bleach. The hydrogen-peroxide and peroxyacetic acid-based decontaminants were not effective in this testing, no matter the ESS used. No measurable liquid runoff was observed for any ESS and reaerosolization from the ESS spray decontamination was minimal. Results from scale-up efforts to an ESS automated decon shower will also be reported on. These results provide important data to inform the design and setup of personnel decon lines following a biological agent release.
New Method for Legionella pneumophila Claims in Cooling Tower Water
Speaker Bio: Lisa Smith
Lisa Smith serves as team lead of the Microbiology Laboratory Branch in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Pesticide Programs Biological and Economic Analysis Division. Lisa has been with EPA since 2016 and has been involved in developing efficacy methods for different types of bacteria, particularly those with significant public health implications such as Candida auris and Legionella pneumophila.
Abstract:
Legionella pneumophila is a bacterium that is often identified as the causative agent of Legionnaires’ Disease, which is a disease acquired by inhaling water droplets contaminated with Legionella bacteria. Legionella are found naturally in freshwater environments but can become a health concern when they grow and spread in human-made building water systems like cooling towers. Cooling towers are a potential breeding ground for L. pneumophila and subsequent aerosolization of L. pneumophila can occur if not properly disinfected and maintained. After numerous Legionnaire’s outbreaks in New York City, New York State began requiring cooling towers to be monitored and then treated for Legionella pneumophila; however, EPA currently does not have a registration framework for antimicrobial products with public health claims to reduce Legionella in cooling tower water. EPA considers claims to reduce L. pneumophila to be public health claims for which the Agency must receive, review, and approve appropriate efficacy data to evaluate such claims. Since it is illegal to use a biocide in a manner not specified on the label and EPA recognizes the public health implications of L. pneumophila, it was imperative to develop a method to test efficacy of products against Legionella in cooling tower water, so companies can add the claim to their labels. EPA worked with Center for Biocide Chemistries (CBC) and stakeholders to develop a quantitative suspension-based test method to assess the efficacy of biocides against Legionella. The method simulates the challenging testing conditions [water hardness, testing temperature, interferences (soil load, additives, etc.)] often found in cooling tower water by including them in the test system. After its development, EPA assessed the method using a 3-phased multi-laboratory collaborative study. In Phase 1, laboratories evaluated one concentration of sodium hypochlorite over three different time points. Phase 1 analyses were used to revise the method. Phases 2 and 3 of the collaborative study assessed low, medium, and high efficacy treatments using non-public health biocides. The method was statistically significantly responsive to the change in treatment efficacy and statistical analysis of the data determined the recommended performance standards. EPA plans to seek public comment on the draft method and a draft guidance framework for registrants seeking claims for antimicrobial products to reduce L. pneumophila in cooling tower water.
Evaluating Air Treatment Technology Performance Against Infectious Aerosols
Speaker Bio: Katherine Ratliff
Dr. Katherine Ratliff is a principal investigator at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Research and Development, working under EPA’s Homeland Security Research Program in the Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response. She uses numerical models, lab, and field-scale studies to develop and evaluate tools for remediating environmental contaminants, including leading EPA’s research to evaluate the efficacy of different air treatment technologies against airborne pathogens. Dr. Ratliff received her B.A. in Earth and Environmental Sciences from Vanderbilt University and a Ph.D. in Earth and Ocean Sciences from Duke University.
Abstract:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Homeland Security Research Program has been conducting research to evaluate the efficacy of air cleaning and treatment technologies against infectious bioaerosols. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased interest in these technologies, which can reduce concentrations of airborne pathogens through either inactivation or particle capture, yet it remains difficult to predict the performance of emerging air cleaning technologies in applied settings. Using a large-scale bioaerosol test chamber, EPA has been conducting experiments to evaluate the efficacy of these technologies against the bacteriophage MS2, a surrogate for pathogenic viruses, under conditions that are more representative of real-world environments compared to how they are often tested. This presentation will provide an overview of studies conducted with both far-ultraviolet (far-UVC) emitting and high-efficiency particulate air filter (HEPA) devices and discuss how changes to test methodologies can significantly impact technology performance, either through calculating log10 reductions or the clean air delivery rate (CADR). These findings highlight the need for standardized test methods for air cleaning technologies in order to optimize their use as part of a layered mitigation strategy to reduce the risk of disease transmission in indoor settings.
Evaluation of an Ionized Hydrogen Peroxide Fogging System for Inactivation of Select Agent Viruses on Laboratory Surfaces at Room-Scale
Speaker Bio: Lindsay Gabbert
Lindsay Gabbert is a Microbiologist with the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate and has conducted research on transboundary animal disease (TAD) viruses at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC) for over 13 years. She holds a graduate degree in Homeland Security with a specialization in Agricultural Biosecurity & Food Defense from Penn State University. As a subject matter expert for the design of applied biosecurity studies to assess viral inactivation, much of her recent work has focused on decontamination and disinfection of select agent TADs including African swine fever and foot-and-mouth-disease virus by chemical and physical means. Prior to her work with DHS, Lindsay worked for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention studying the pathogenesis of arthropod-borne zoonotic viruses.
Abstract:
Aging biocontainment laboratories often require complex and multi-faceted approaches to achieve effective decontamination of large laboratory and vivarium spaces. In support of the development of validated protocols for terminal facility decontamination and decommissioning of the Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC), the SteraMist Environment System, an ionized hydrogen peroxide (iHP) fogging system, was evaluated for its ability to inactivate the small non-enveloped ssRNA Foot-and-mouth-disease virus (FMDV), and the large nucleocytoplasmic DNA African swine fever virus (ASFV) dried on representative laboratory surfaces. Tests were conducted in a ~13,000 ft3 BSL3-Ag vivarium room typically used to house cattle. FMDV and ASFV virus stocks were mixed with a standardized soil load and dried on 1 cm non-porous stainless-steel disks and 1 cm3 porous concrete testing coupons. Stainless steel ribbons containing 6 logs Geobacillus stearothermophilus (GST) spores as biological indicators (BIs), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) chemical indicator strips (CIs), and viruses were magnetically affixed at 36 sampling sites throughout the room. SteraMist Binary Ionization Ionization Technology® (BIT™) Solution (7.8% H2O2) was fogged at a dose of 0.5mL per ft3 through two Environment Systems and allowed to dwell for a total of 15 minutes followed by a 2-hour room aeration period prior to sample collection. Results demonstrated efficient coverage of iHP throughout the room in, as evidenced by 100% positivity of CIs, and 100% negativity of all GST BIs. FMDV and ASFV were completely inactivated on stainless steel after a 15-minute iHP dwell time in 72/72 samples (n=36/test) (FMDV >5.5LR; ASFV >4.3LR). Additionally, ASFV was completely inactivated on concrete (72/72 negative). Inactivation of FMDV on concrete proved to be more difficult, with initial titrations resulting in very low, but detectable, positivity rates (1/36 positive in Test 1; 5/36 positive in Test 2). After passage three of supernatants initially negative by titration, FMDV sample positivity increased to 8/36 and 21/36 for Tests 1 & 2 respectively. This study provides novel efficacy data on the ability of iHP to inactivate FMDV and ASFV dried on surfaces commonly found in BSL3-Ag containment facilities and laboratory spaces. Additional applied biosafety research is needed to determine effective iHP exposure condition to obtain complete inactivation of FMDV on concrete.
Radiological Agents: Decontamination, Sampling & Analysis | December 6, 2023 from 3:00 pm - 4:40 pm
Moderator: Erin Silvestri-Niemer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Erin Silvestri-Niemer is the branch supervisor for the Materials Management and Oil Spill Branch, within the U.S Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA), Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response, Homeland Security and Materials Management Division (HSMMD). Prior to joining MMOSB, she has 16 years previous experience supporting EPA’s Homeland Security Research Program as both an environmental health scientist and biologist. Her more recent research focused on development of sampling protocols for pathogens, leading the Environmental Sampling and Analytical Methods Program, and leading sampling and analysis efforts for the Analysis for Coastal Operational Resiliency (AnCOR) Wide Area Demonstration project. She holds a Master’s in Public Health in Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology from the University of Michigan School of Public Health and a certificate in Geographic Information Systems from Northern Kentucky University.
Moderator: Michael Pirhalla, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Michael Pirhalla is a Physical Scientist in EPA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD) in the Homeland Security and Materials Management Division (HSMMD) of the Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response (CESER). Michael has a BS in meteorology from Plymouth State University, an MS in atmospheric science from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and a PhD in atmospheric science from North Carolina State University. He started his EPA career as a Pathways Intern while working on his dissertation in flow and dispersion within EPA’s Fluid Modeling Facility meteorological wind tunnel laboratory. After graduation, Michael has continued his research of dispersion in urban and built environments using data from the wind tunnel and Large Eddy Simulations (LES) to improve formulations in dispersion models. Recently, he has been involved in the interagency Analysis of Coastal Operational Resiliency (AnCOR) project as a sampling and analysis co-lead and continues to work on improved sampling and analysis methods for surfaces contaminated with biological agents.
Speakers: Kaminski Filtration | Ames | Hudson | Kaminski Resuspension
Filtration of Radioactive Fallout Particles in Sand Filter Beds
Speaker Bio: Michael D. Kaminski
Michael Kaminski received his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois (USA) in Nuclear Engineering with an emphasis on radioactive waste management. He is a Senior Nuclear Chemical Engineer in the Strategic Security Sciences Division at Argonne National Laboratory and Adjunct Associate Professor in Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering at the University of Illinois. His expertise includes nano-magnetic materials, magnetic separations, spent fuel corrosion, nuclear waste fabrication, chemical separations techniques, radio-analytical methods, the environmental chemistry of nuclear materials, and mitigation and recovery methods for wide area releases of nuclear materials. In total, he has >70 published journal articles, 48 reports, >160 presentations, 35 inventions, and 8 patents garnering over 2690 citations in niche areas of study (h-index = 29).
Abstract:
Radioactive fallout could have debilitating effects on drinking water and wastewater systems. At least some drinking water system operators have plans to mitigate the effects of a contaminated water source, but most, if not all, wastewater operators have no such plans. Both types of operators have little or no knowledge of the fate and disposition of radioactive fallout within the individual unit operations of their systems.
We will discuss results of tests to quantify the filtration efficiency of surrogate fallout particles within sand bed systems operating within the range of many drinking water operations. These results will be compared to the Tufenkji and Elimelech, Yao, and Rajagopalan and Tien models for fast filtration bed flow. When combined with our prior modeling of modified filter bed systems, information from this study can help drinking water and wastewater operators decide how they can mitigate the effects of source water contamination and continue to operate during the emergency phase of a contamination event.
Analysis of Task Performance During Radiological Surveillance by Means of Discrete Event Simulation
Speaker Bio: Lt. Michael H. Ames
1st Lieutenant Michael Ames is an active duty Bioenvironmental Engineer and Flight Commander currently assigned to the 4th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron, Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina. He has over 17 years of occupational, environmental, and radiological health experience, to include MARSSIM site surveillance and radiological instrumentation. He holds a B.S in Environmental Science from American Military University (Charles Town, West Virginia) and a dual M.S. in Environmental Engineering and Science & Industrial Hygiene from the Air Force Institute of Technology (Dayton, Ohio). He is also a Certified Industrial Hygienist and Registered Radiation Protection Technologist.
Abstract:
The surveillance and detection of radioactive contamination on surfaces and in the environment are commonly investigated by surveyors utilizing portable detection equipment. The availability of Discrete Event Simulation (DES) and Human Performance Modeling (HPM) allows for the analysis of physical and cognitive processes associated with these operations, as well as the effect that external environmental factors have on surveyor performance. This research uses the Improved Performance Research Integration Tool (IMPRINT) to approximate the performance of a radiological detection task informed by the observation of six surveyors. The effects of chemical Individual Protective Equipment (IPE) use is evaluated along with the effects of elevated ambient environmental temperatures. Along with the development of a novel human performance model for the surveillance task, results of this study predict up to a 33% increase in survey completion time when chemical IPE is worn and up to a 50% decrease in surveyor efficiency from the effects of elevated ambient temperatures. Overall, this study represents the novel use of a DES to model the cognitive and physical tasks associated with radiological surveillance activities and the impacts from key physical and environmental stressors.
Days After RDD Recovery - Technology Sub-Group Identified Gaps
Speaker Bio: Scott A. Hudson
Scott has worked as a health physicist for the federal government since 1995, first with the Army and later joining EPA in 2005. Scott has experience in applied health physics in the medical, industrial and NBC arenas; he joined EPA when the National Decon Team was formed and has just recently joined ORD's Homeland Security and Materials Management division. Scott passed his certification exam in health physics in 2003 and is accredited by the American Academy of Health Physics. His work has focused on radiation safety, decontamination, and training.
Abstract:
A mutual effort between US Dept of Energy, EPA and Israel's Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has continued to address what is needed to recover from a radiological dispersal device (RDD) attack. Beginning in July 2022, three subgroups (technology, public health and communications) continue to identify critical gaps in our knowledge or abilities to respond to an RDD event. The technology subgroup has identified 7 existing gaps so far; the presentation will describe details desired to fill these gaps as well as any relevant updates from a planned October 2023 plenary session.
Technology sub-group identified gaps (draft as of July 2023) include: long-term monitoring equipment and procedures for the affected populace; lab capabilities needed to support recovery; waste volume and capacity questions; relocation activity questions; decontamination of wilderness areas.
Accurate Measurement of the Resuspension of Fallout Particles as Input into Urban Plume and Dosimetry Models
Kaminski Resuspension Recording
Speaker Bio: Michael D. Kaminski
Michael Kaminski received his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois (USA) in Nuclear Engineering with an emphasis on radioactive waste management. He is a Senior Nuclear Chemical Engineer in the Strategic Security Sciences Division at Argonne National Laboratory and Adjunct Associate Professor in Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering at the University of Illinois. His expertise includes nano-magnetic materials, magnetic separations, spent fuel corrosion, nuclear waste fabrication, chemical separations techniques, radio-analytical methods, the environmental chemistry of nuclear materials, and mitigation and recovery methods for wide area releases of nuclear materials. In total, he has >70 published journal articles, 48 reports, >160 presentations, 35 inventions, and 8 patents garnering over 2690 citations in niche areas of study (h-index = 29).
Abstract:
Radioactive plume and dosimetry models use an approach based on the pioneering work of Lynn Anspaugh (LLNL) to define the resuspension of fallout particles from their surface into the breathable air zones given the action of wind. However, it was well recognized during the initial experimental work in the 1960s and 1970s that conditions such as fresh fallout, wind, and mechanical disturbances produced erratic, unpredictable levels of resuspended material (i.e., such conditions that would define the emergency phase of a radioactive release event). Indeed, to develop the first models, experimenters collected data only during quiescent conditions so that well behaved resuspension patterns could be developed and fit to exponential or power law functions.
Designing experiments to account for windy conditions or mechanical disturbances proved difficult. Basic problems with the experimental design such as ensuring sufficient air mixing and spatial positioning of the air monitors created large uncertainties in the computed resuspension data. Merely measuring the resuspended material presented another significant challenge. The gold standard method uses gravimetry to measure the mass collected on filters, but this method requires sufficient dust collection to offset the uncertainties associated with the gravimetric technique. Thus, very long collection times are needed (>1 day) or unrealistic dust loads that might severely underestimate or overestimate resuspended material in the very early phase following deposition. This could result in reporting severely inaccurate internal dose hazards to those operating in this early phase. Optical scattering devices (Mie scattering) have become popular because of their mobility and low price but they have severe limitations. Moreover, units that are marketed as industrial quality and can measure multiple PM levels simultaneously such as the TSI DustTrak models are not meeting expectations based on laboratory experiments. We conducted laboratory and field tests with low-cost PM monitors and the DustTrak DRX8533 and will discuss the results and recommend paths forward for future tests that strive to produce accurate resuspension data for plume and dosimetry models.
Chemical Agents: Decontamination II | December 7, 2023 from 8:00 am - 9:40 am
Moderator: Judy Ancharski, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Judy Ancharski graduated from The Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism/Advertising. She married her college sweetheart and have two children, Kyle is a University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill graduate and Tiffany is a University of South Carolina graduate.
Judy began her Federal Government career as a Department of Defense Intern with the U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC), U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM) located in Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. Her position as a Contract Specialist for the Army provided acquisitions skills that led to major defense contracts negotiations and equipment purchases.
Judy continued my contracting career with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) preparing Construction and Architectural & Engineering (A&E) type contracts in Greenbelt, Maryland. Next, she worked for the U.S. EPA in the Procurement Operations Division in Durham, North Carolina and was responsible for the negotiations, award, and monitoring contractual terms/requirements for supply and services contracts.
She currently served as a Program Analyst for the Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response (CESER), Homeland Security & Material Management Division (HSMMD) with the EPA, assisting staff and HSMMD leadership successfully and efficiently to implement several programs to ensure that HSMMD needs are effectively met.
Speakers: Luke | Lestage | Sherrieb | McCarthy-Barnett
Risk-Based Values for Evaluating Surface Exposure to Chemical Warfare Agents
Speaker Bio: April Luke
April Luke began her career as a toxicologist for the USEPA in January 2011. For several years, she worked within the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS), a human health assessment program that evaluates information on health effects that may result from exposure to chemicals found in the environment and develops important sources of toxicity information used by EPA, state and local health agencies, other federal agencies, and international health organizations. In November 2018, April had the opportunity to bring her toxicological expertise to the Office of Emergency Management (OEM). In her current position, she serves as a scientific/technical advisor in the areas of toxicology and risk assessment in support of the office’s mission to provide policy, guidance, and direction for the Agency’s emergency response program. April has a B.S. in microbiology and chemistry from Northern Arizona University, a MS in chemistry from Northern Arizona University, and a M.S. in toxicology from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Abstract:
Throughout the various phases of a chemical-release incident, risk-based values are critical for decision makers to take actions that are protective of human health. Risk-based values that consider health protection over longer, chronic exposures are particularly important during the consequence management phase as they provide context for evaluating the extent of contamination and the effectiveness of decontamination. For several chemicals, particularly chemical warfare agents (CWAs), it is the contact with contaminated surfaces that presents a hazard; this is why risk-based values developed to account for surface exposure, both direct (dermal) and indirect (hand-to-mouth), are important for preparedness planning and emergency response. In this presentation we apply a surface exposure methodology developed by the U.S. EPA Office of Pesticide Programs along with default exposure parameter inputs (e.g., exposure duration and frequency, body weight, skin transfer, mouthing surface, etc.) used in the U.S. EPA Superfund Program to develop generic surface screening levels for non-porous surfaces in both an occupational and residential setting. This application uses oral reference values and oral cancer slope factors to derive screening levels for non-cancerous and cancerous health effects for a set of CWAs. This is the approach that was developed for use during the response at the World Trade Center (USEPA, 2003) and has been used in other EPA-participated responses (e.g., F/V ESS Pursuit sulfur mustard incident) and exercises. This expansion of the approach fills an identified gap in developing preparedness plans for the remediation of a CWA incident (e.g., assessing decontamination methods and laboratory capabilities) and will provide a starting point for evaluating sampling data for both site characterization and confirmation of decontamination in the case of a real-world event.
SoRite® DECON: A New Decontaminant that Destroys Problematic Psychoactive Drugs
Lestage Recording
Speaker Bio: Keri Lestage
Bio not available.
Abstract:
The destruction of psychoactive prescription drugs and their illicit versions have become problematic for the pharmaceutical industry, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and state law enforcement agencies. Various solutions have been developed by numerous companies to deal with the destruction of psychoactive drugs, but unfortunately a number of the solutions do not work as advertised. Aseptic Health LLC, 1109 Woodland Street, Number 68223, Nashville, TN, 37206, 888-379-3232, has developed a novel product, SoRite DECON, that truly destroys psychoactive drugs.
The psychoactive drugs that are primarily of concern and the most problematic to destroy and eliminate include methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl and other opioids. The biggest problem with illicit drugs is the use of fentanyl to mimic the effect of other drugs. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. The potency of fentanyl as an analgesic allows it to be used in minimal amounts to achieve the same effect as other drugs. The most commonly faked drugs are oxycodone, alprazolam and amphetamine where the active ingredient has been replaced by fentanyl. Fake oxycodone pills are the most prevalent. The problem is that most of these fake pills contain fentanyl in excess of 2 mg, which is potentially a toxic dose. When used as a legitimate prescription analgesic, fentanyl is prescribed in doses that range from 0.025-0.1 mg.
Aseptic Health LLC has taken advantage of the chemical structure of psychoactive drugs in developing SoRite DECON. Most psychoactive drugs contain carbon-linked nitrogen or oxygen groups that are highly susceptible to destruction by potent oxidizing agents. SoRite DECON contains a mixture of two potent oxidizing agents that act synergistically in combination to oxidatively destroy psychoactive drugs. Using liquid chromatography (LC) mass spectrometry (MS) LC/MS/MS analysis Aseptic Health LLC has shown that fentanyl is destroyed in 15 seconds and using hydrogen (1H) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) 1H NMR analysis Aseptic Health LLC has shown that fentanyl is destroyed by the oxidation of its internal ring constrained carbon-linked nitrogen groups.
The development of SoRite DECON represents a safer method for the destruction of psychoactive drugs. SoRite DECON does not contain bleach or alcohol. It is mild on the skin, non-caustic and non-reactive.
Decontamination Options for Sensitive Equipment-Related Materials Contaminated with a Fourth Generation Agent (FGA)
Sherrieb Recording
Speaker Bio: Jason Sherrieb
Jason Sherrieb is a Senior Scientist at Avarint, LLC, with over 20 years of experience performing chemical agent RDT&E. Jason serves as a Program Manager and Principal Investigator on many RDT&E programs across a broad range of technical areas including material and textile permeation, material compatibility and desorption (decontaminability), vapor generation, detection, filtration, decontamination, and CBRN Survivability. Jason also leads Avarint’s synthesis program and is responsible for synthesizing both traditional and non-traditional chemical agents for use on independent and non-DoD programs. Mr. Sherrieb serves as the Safety and Security Manager for Avarint’s Provisioning Agreement with the U.S. Army, security liaison for the Department of Homeland Security CFATS compliance and coordinates all compliance-related activities for safety and security stipulated by relevant federal, state, and local agencies.
Abstract:
EPA has conducted prior decontamination research for traditional CWAs, but there is a scientific data gap for decontamination technologies capable of remediating sensitive equipment contaminated with a Fourth Generation Agent (FGA). The purpose of this project was to evaluate the efficacy of commercial-off-the-shelf hydrogen peroxide-based and/or peroxyacetic acid-based decontamination technologies for decontamination of one FGA (A-234) on sensitive equipment materials. The decontaminants investigated include Dahlgren Decon™, Decon PLUS™, and EasyDECON® DF200, all of which use peroxy- species for oxidation and surfactants to enhance transport of the oxidant to the contaminant. These types of decontaminants are generally considered less corrosive than hypochlorite-based oxidants and hence have been proposed to have increased compatibility with sensitive equipment, which are susceptible to corrosive chemicals. The four sensitive materials selected for this study were acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), silicone, Gorilla Glass®, and high-impact polystyrene (HIPS). These materials are frequently encountered in protective housings for electronics, seals, gaskets, keyboards, and detector equipment. In addition, two types of sensitive equipment (water-resistant calculators and iPhones) were also included in the study. A-234 was applied as liquid droplets to achieve a target contamination density of 2 g/m² to the surface of test coupons, test panels, and full sensitive equipment items. Decontaminants were applied using a semi-automated spray system at a target application volume of 60 to 100 µL/cm². Following the specified decontaminant dwell periods, the test coupons, wipes and/or decontaminant overspray/rinsate were extracted in organic solvent and analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to quantify the mass of A-234 remaining in the extracts. Results indicate that a combination of physical removal (through measurement of recovered A-234 in the runoff/rinsate) and degradation can lead to high (better than 99%) efficacy. However, one decontaminant only caused physical removal without degradation leaving significant amounts of A-234 in the liquid runoff. No material degradation was observed following application of any of these three decontaminants except for some expected loss of functionality of the electronic equipment.
Mass Casualty Decontamination Research: What's Next?
McCarthy-Barnett Recording
Speaker Bio: Kate McCarthy-Barnett
Dr. Kate McCarthy-Barnett works for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency and has a specialized focus on CBRN decontamination response for at-risk casualties. Her current research interests and publications include the optimization of decontamination procedures during mass casualty chemical incidents. She was one two authors from the U.S. to contribute to the development of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Primary Response Incident Scene Management Guidance for Chemical Incidents and has presented her work at International and National conferences.
Abstract:
A large-scale terrorist attack or hazardous material incident would trigger mass-casualty decontamination as part of the standard incident response procedure. For this reason, the US has developed the Primary Response Incident Scene Management (PRISM) Guidance for the initial response phase to a mass casualty CBRN or HazMat events. While the PRISM triple combination approach of dry, ladder pipe system and technical decontamination has been demonstrated to be effective, the guidance is primarily focused on “ambulant” casualties (those who are able to walk and maneuver through decontamination procedures without assistance or accommodations). Currently, there is no federal evidence-based decontamination procedures for at-risk individuals including those with physical, sensory and cognitive disabilities, seniors, chronic health conditions, use service animals or durable medical equipment and others with language barriers.
An international large-scale, multi-agency response exercise to evaluate the effectiveness of the PRISM (“Operation DOWNPOUR”) provided evidence for the first time that current disrobe and decontamination procedures lack technical evidence and are based on perceived best practices, relying on an assumption that the needs of these casualties can be met by ambulant patient protocols. This research found that the throughput of at-risk individuals was 10 times slower than for ambulant casualties and the delays associated with processing will consequently have a negative impact for all casualties in terms of clinical and operational effectiveness.
In order to effectively respond to a mass casualty chemical incident, communities must be resilient to such catastrophes which requires scientific data to support planning and response. This interactive session will provide participants the forum to review and discuss future mass casualty decontamination research aimed at removing the inequalities and fully integrate an evidence-based response for the safe and effective disrobe and decontamination for all members of the community during a CBRN incident. Reducing the delay between initial exposure to a contaminant and subsequent emergency response actions is considered one of the most important factors for optimizing the number of lives saved.
Multi-Agency Collaborations | December 7, 2023 from 8:00 am - 9:40 am
Moderator: Sanjiv Shah, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Dr. Sanjiv R. Shah is a Senior Microbiologist in the Homeland Security & Materials Management Division within the U.S. EPA’s Office of Research and Development. Since 1998, while working for the U.S. Army’s Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) and the EPA-ORD, he has been actively contributing to biodefense research, especially, in the development of analytical methods; and development, and test and evaluation of biosensors technologies for rapid, specific, sensitive, and high-throughput detection of biothreat agents in environmental and water samples. He has been involved in several biodefense research collaborations at the national and international level. As a member of many interagency biodefense/homeland security expert panels, committees, and work groups, he has been contributing to many national programs, including the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Prior to 1998, he worked at premier research institutions such as the NIH, and the University of Maryland Medical School, and also, in pharmaceutical industries, to enrich his basic and applied research experience in microbiology, molecular biology, molecular neurobiology, industrial microbiology, and antibiotic fermentations. He holds B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Microbiology. He has published his research in international journals and reports. He has received many prestigious awards from the U.S. Army, EPA, and other highly reputed scientific institutions for his contributions to biodefense research.
Moderator: Erin Silvestri-Niemer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Erin Silvestri-Niemer is the branch supervisor for the Materials Management and Oil Spill Branch, within the U.S Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA), Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response, Homeland Security and Materials Management Division (HSMMD). Prior to joining MMOSB, she has 16 years previous experience supporting EPA’s Homeland Security Research Program as both an environmental health scientist and biologist. Her more recent research focused on development of sampling protocols for pathogens, leading the Environmental Sampling and Analytical Methods Program, and leading sampling and analysis efforts for the Analysis for Coastal Operational Resiliency (AnCOR) Wide Area Demonstration project. She holds a Master’s in Public Health in Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology from the University of Michigan School of Public Health and a certificate in Geographic Information Systems from Northern Kentucky University.
Speakers: AnCOR | Chang | Ortega, Mitchell
Analysis for Coastal Operational Resiliency (AnCOR) Wide Area Demonstration
AnCOR Recording
Speaker Bio: Lukas Oudejans
Dr. Lukas Oudejans is a Research Physical Scientist with the U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development’s Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response. Over the past 14 years, he has gained vast experience in homeland security programs related to research, development and evaluation of innovative technologies for the decontamination of materials contaminated with chemical or biological agents. He is a coauthor of EPA’s Fentanyl Fact Sheet for U.S. EPA Federal On-Scene Coordinators who are providing technical advice to state and local responders who may encounter environmental contamination from the fentanyl class of synthetic opioids (including fentanyl analogs). Currently, he is leading multiple research efforts to assess decontamination options for fentanyl contaminated building materials and approaches for effective decontamination of contaminated PPE. Dr. Oudejans holds a Ph.D. in Experimental Physics from Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands (1994).
Speaker Bio: Shannon Serre
Dr. Shannon Serre is with the EPA's Office of Emergency Management working in the CBRN Consequence Management Advisory Division. He is focused on the response and recovery from a chemical, biological, or radiological incident. He has been involved in several field scale projects including: the Bio-response Operational Testing and Evaluation (BOTE) project, Underground Transport Restoration (UTR) project, Operational Testing and Evaluation of Chemical Remediation Technologies (OTECRA) and most recently with the Analysis for Coastal Operational Resiliency (AnCOR) project. Shannon has a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Utah.
Speaker Bio: Timothy Boe
Timothy Boe is a Geographer with the U.S. EPA’s ORD. Timothy’s work primarily focuses on response and cleanup issues following chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) incidents. He has also been developing computer-based decision support tools to aid decision makers in responding to wide-area contamination incidents. Before joining the EPA, Timothy worked as an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education Fellow where he conducted research on wide area CBRN remediation. Timothy has an M.S. and a B.S. in Applied Science from Arkansas Tech University.
Speaker Bio: Worth Calfee
Dr. Worth Calfee is senior research microbiologist with EPA’s Homeland Security and Materials Management Division within the Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response. He has over 25 years of research experience with 15 years at the U.S. EPA in decontamination and consequence management of Chemical, Biological, and Radiological (CBR) agents. His research foci include sampling, decontamination, and management of wastes from CBR contamination incidents. Dr. Calfee earned his Ph.D. in 2007 from East Carolina University, where he studied the impacts of anthropogenic disturbance on estuarine microbial communities. He also earned a B.S. in molecular biology from East Carolina University in 1999. Prior to joining the U.S. EPA, Dr. Calfee studied quorum sensing, regulation of carbohydrate metabolism, and virulence factor expression in the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, at East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine.
Speaker Bio: Michael Pirhalla
Michael Pirhalla is a Physical Scientist in EPA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD) in the Homeland Security and Materials Management Division (HSMMD) of the Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response (CESER). Michael has a BS in meteorology from Plymouth State University, an MS in atmospheric science from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and a PhD in atmospheric science from North Carolina State University. He started his EPA career as a Pathways Intern while working on his dissertation in flow and dispersion within EPA’s Fluid Modeling Facility meteorological wind tunnel laboratory. After graduation, Michael has continued his research of dispersion in urban and built environments using data from the wind tunnel and Large Eddy Simulations (LES) to improve formulations in dispersion models. Recently, he has been involved in the interagency Analysis of Coastal Operational Resiliency (AnCOR) project as a sampling and analysis co-lead and continues to work on improved sampling and analysis methods for surfaces contaminated with biological agents.
Abstract:
Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of inhalation anthrax, is one of the most highly studied biological threat agents. Significant gaps remain related to the remediation of a wide area following such biological release. This presentation describes the planning, execution, data interpretation and outcomes from the Analysis for Coastal Operational Resiliency (AnCOR)’s Wide Area Demonstration (WAD) which was held in May 2022. The AnCOR program is an interagency effort involving the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), and the United States Coast Guard (USCG). The primary WAD objective was to expand the understanding of the operational effectiveness of decontamination methods and sampling strategies developed in a laboratory by testing them in an outdoor environment. A non-pathogenic organism, Bacillus atrophaeus var. globigii (Bg), was used as a surrogate.
Samples were collected pre- and post-decontamination for comparison of recovery and assessment of decontamination efficacy of those areas common in an urban environment, also providing sampling personnel real-world experience in collecting samples in full personal protective equipment (PPE). Sampling was also conducted on added materials that are commonly found on a USCG base.
The WAD decontamination assessment utilized high test hypochlorite (HTH) on hard surfaces and peroxyacetic acid (PAA) on vegetation (i.e., grass and trees). The application of decontaminants HTH and PAA was utilized to show the effectiveness against Bg using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) spray technologies under field conditions. Additionally, designated waste materials were placed inside semipermeable bags made from innovative materials, then fumigated in a roll-off container using chlorine dioxide (ClO2) gas.
Novel techniques and strategies for data management were used during the WAD including detailing the roles, processes, and technologies for data acquisition, data management for sample collection, and visualization of results from field-collection through analysis and reporting.
The WAD provided opportunities to improve response readiness for mitigating the effects of a release of a biological organism in an outdoor urban environment and to gain real-world experience with decontamination of a biological organism using commercially available equipment.
Laboratory Processing and Sample Analysis of Environmental Sponge Stick and Microvacuum Filter Cassette for the Detection of Bacillus atrophaeus Subspecies Globigii
Chang Recording
Speaker Bio: How-Yi Chang
Dr. How-Yi Chang is a microbiologist who works in the Biological Rapid Response and Advanced Technology (BRRAT) Laboratory at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Collaborating with subject matter experts, she contributes to research, design, and development of rapid and advanced technologies for use in the Laboratory Response Network. Her and her team’s efforts ensure biothreat preparedness and support for public health responses. Dr. Chang holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Georgia. She has more than 20 years of experience working with infectious disease pathogens. Before joining BRRAT Laboratory, Dr. Chang implemented whole-genome sequencing workflows in the CDC Bacterial Meningitis Laboratory. This implementation continues to help with outbreak investigations and inform public health responses. She looks forward to presenting findings from a multi-agency collaboration which are in efforts to further support biothreat preparedness.
Abstract:
Introduction: The goal of the 2022 AnCOR WAD project was to assess the efficacy of decontamination in response to a wide-area outdoor Bacillus anthracis contamination. To simulate contamination, EPA disseminated a mixture of water and Bacillus atrophaeus subspecies globigii (Bg) spores on a mixture of outdoor surfaces. Three Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) laboratories and four Laboratory Response Network (LRN) laboratories joined EPA in this exercise to process and analyze samples. The results from four of the participating laboratories, two CDC Laboratories (Division of Preparedness and Emerging Infections and Division of Scientific Resources) and two LRN Laboratories (New York State Department of Health Wadsworth Center and Virginia Department of Health) participated in this presentation.
Materials and Methods: Multiple environmental surface samples were collected during background, pre- and post-decontamination. A subset of samples was collected with sponge sticks (n=91) and 37 mm microvacuum filter cassettes (n=67) and were sent to four participating laboratories overnight on cold packs for processing and analysis. The anthrax surrogate Bg spores were first dislodged from the sponge sticks or filter cassettes and sonicated. Each suspension was serially diluted with buffer and spread on tryptic soy agar plates. Samples underwent microfunnel filter-plating to enhance detection of low Bg concentrations. After incubation (35±2 °C) up to 72 hours, plates were examined for growth.
Results and conclusions: For the four laboratories participating in this presentation, Bg were detected in 42.11 % (8 of 19), 87.14 % (61 of 70) and 36.23 % (25 of 69) of the samples collected during background, pre- and post-decontamination, respectively. The data were recorded and shared with collaborators for further analysis. The multi-agency AnCOR exercise had three major impacts. First, results of the exercise provided insights on sample collection and decontamination methods used in the field in the event of a wide-area contamination incident. Collective data from the exercise identified procedural gaps and highlighted room for future improvement. Second, exercise training improved emergency response readiness for personnel at each agency. Finally, CDC and LRN strengthened existing partnerships with EPA. Overall, the exercise strengthened readiness for federal recovery efforts after an incident, which can result in time saved and reduced clean-up costs.
NTAG-R Programme - Enhancing Chemical, Biological, and Radiological Recovery Operations in the UK
Ortega, Mitchell Recording
Speaker Bio: Matthew Thomas Ortega
Mr. Mathieu Ortega is the UK Department for the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra) Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Science Team's Chemical Hazard Scientific Officer. Mr. Ortega obtained a BSc from the University of Caen Normandy (France) after an HND in Chemistry. Mr. Ortega worked previously as an International Project Manager in the hazardous waste sector for VEOLIA. Mr. Ortega led several projects for the repacking, securitising and transporting diverse chemicals and waste from hostile and sensitive countries in West Africa and South America to Europe. Mr. Ortega joined DEFRA in 2021 and is leading different projects to increase the UK's capabilities for recovery after a CBRN incident.
Speaker: Steve Mitchell
Bio not available.
Abstract:
The UK Government's Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is responsible for remediation following a homeland CBR event.
Defra has partnered with the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) to establish a five-year Programme: This is the National Technical Advisory Group for Recovery (NTAG-R).
At the heart of this initiative lies the UK's resolute commitment to robust preparedness, strategic response, and effective recovery in the face of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) incidents.
The NTAG-R has been split into two sub-programmes; these consist of a technical R&D programme and an operational capability programme. They are designed to work together to develop impact. Within the R&D programme, we are developing new technologies and research programmes to fill and mitigate known gaps and those exposed during CBRN incidents or exercises.
The operational capability programme is working to develop the UK operational capability and to expose and prioritise our capability gaps, constantly improving our ability to respond to CBRN incidents.
The key objectives of the NTAG-R are to
- Reduce the time to recover from a small to medium-scale incident (they may ask what our definition of this is (I would))
- Improve the availability of technologies to remediate to safe levels after an incident.
- Reduce the costs of recovery to the UK Government and the UK economy
Chemical Agents: Sampling and Analysis | December 7, 2023 from 10:00 am - 11:40 am
Moderator: Logan Rand, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Logan Rand is a chemist in the ORD CESER Homeland Security and Materials Management Division’s Disaster Characterization Branch. He conducts research in chemical threat methods for the Environmental Sampling and Analytical Methods Program (ESAM). Logan completed his Bachelor’s in Chemistry at Pacific Lutheran University, his PhD in Geochemistry at Colorado School of Mines, and conducted postdoctoral research with Paul Westerhoff at Arizona State University and more recently with Todd Luxton in the CESER Land Remediation and Technology Division. His interest areas include environmental fate and transport, aqueous geochemistry, and analytical chemistry, with research experience in inorganic quantification and characterization methods and environmental chemistry of nanoparticles and colloids.
Speakers: Dunaway | Willison | Virdi | Garcia
Unventilated Monitoring Tent (UMT) GPL Monitoring
Dunaway Recording
Speaker Bio: Nykki Marie Dunaway
Nykki Dunaway currently serves as a Program Manager for the U.S. Army Chemical Biological Center (CBC) Chemical Biological Applications and Risk Reduction (CBARR) business unit. Nykki is currently the program manager on the project planning and execution for Pueblo Chemical Depot GPL igloo closure. Nykki also works on chemical agent contaminated waste management from ACWA sites and from Department of Homeland Security. She has also participated in the creation and implementation of pre-deployment briefs and other tasks for various projects in Australia. Before her role at CBARR, Nykki worked with water quality testing with industrial sites throughout Maryland. Nykki previously obtained a bachelor’s degree in environmental science with an Aquatic Concentration from Colby-Sawyer College. She also obtained a master’s degree in environmental management from the University of Maryland Global Campus.
Abstract:
Over the last 60 years chemical weapons in the United States have been stored in earthen igloos. As the U.S. destruction facilities continue to safely destroy the chemical weapons stockpile, a process for verifying the safety of the igloos prior to turn-over to the public is being implemented. Unventilated Monitoring Tests (UMT) is the final step in this process. The UMT verifies closure activities have adequately addressed potential agent contamination by air monitoring the igloos’ unventilated space to the General Population Limit (GPL) allowing it to be released for unrestricted use as the Depots and other facilities close down. The GPL is a health-based concentration causing no anticipated adverse health effects with repeated exposure for up to 24 hours daily, for up to 70 years. CBARR procedures for conducting the UMT follow a series of steps considering important factors such as dust, temperature, and homogeneity. Lessons-learned have resulted in procedure refinement, improved equipment and cleaning methods, and identification of seasonality impacts in regard to interferents. Future plans, and enhanced capabilities with UMT GPL clearance work, include completion of igloo clearance at Pueblo Chemical Depot in Colorado, potential future work at Blue Grass Army Depot in Kentucky, and additional experience gained for potentially chemical and biological contaminated assets.
Evaluating Sampling Efforts of Fourth Generation Agents from Soil, Water, and Surfaces to Assess Hazard Characterization Capabilities for Contaminated Sites
Willison Recording
Speaker Bio: Stuart Willison
Dr. Stuart Willison received his Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Cincinnati. He joined EPA's Homeland Security and Materials Management Division (HSMMD) in 2008 as a research chemist. Stuart’s research has focused on chemical sampling and method development to support remediation efforts. Stuart’s sampling procedures and analytical methods have been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals, Agency reports, and incorporated into the Environmental Sampling and Analytical Methods (ESAM) Program for environmental remediation. The methods and procedures are intended to assess and support characterization of hazardous chemicals in important environmental media following contamination incidents. Dr. Willison also serves as a chemical co-lead for the ESAM Program and various inter- and intra-Agency workgroups as a chemical technical expert.
Abstract:
The U.S. EPA’s Homeland Security Research Program (HSRP) is charged with protecting human health and the environment from accidental and intentional releases of toxic chemicals and other threat agents. Such chemical agents include Fourth Generation Agents (FGAs), which represent a significant homeland security threat. Sample collection procedures of samples from different environmental matrices (e.g., water, soil, and commonly used surface types) contaminated with FGAs require evaluation and development to ensure they can generate quality data for field and remediation operations. Three drinking waters, three soil types, two strippable coatings, and three wipe materials on various surface materials were evaluated with the FGA, A234. Since low clean up levels might be desirable, samples were contaminated with nanogram (ng) to microgram (µg) levels of the FGA and quantitated with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LCMS/MS). This work evaluated wipe, water, soil, and strippable coating sample collection methods, including steps for sample collection, sample preservation, and sample preparation prior to analysis to assess for impacts on the accurate quantitation of FGA contamination. Data, including recovery efficiencies, from the tested matrix types described above will be discussed to properly assess sampling efforts for the tested FGA.
Chemical and Biological Threat Dispersion in Urban Environments
Virdi Recording
Speaker Bio: Mandeep Virdi
Mandeep Virdi has been at Lincoln Laboratory for 12 years and has significant experience in the fields of aerosol science, development and evaluation of sensing technologies and biodefense response and recovery. Mandeep has a B.S. degree in chemistry from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and an M.S. degree in organic chemistry from Harvard University.
Abstract:
The Urban Threat Dispersion (UTD) project is part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate’s (S&T) efforts to enhance the resiliency of urban areas against chemical and biological agent events. UTD is an airflow and dispersion study that simulated the aerosol release of biological agents in a densely populated urban environment. This study was conducted in New York City (NYC) in October 2021 and involved the release of non-hazardous particulate and inert tracer gas materials. The air and surface concentrations of the released materials were then measured temporally and spatially across NYC, which involved significant sampling and characterization activities. This seminar will describe the details of the test campaign including release scenarios, simulant selection, measurement plan development, and logistics. This project involved several national lab agencies and the EPA. The results of UTD are helping to validate dispersion models, build CB sensing and response architectures, and enhance decision support tools for critical stakeholders after a CB release event.
This material is based upon work supported by the Dept of Homeland Security under Air Force Contract No. FA8702-15-D-0001. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Dept of Homeland Security.
Evaluation of Opioid and Recreational Drugs in Surface Wipe Samples in Remediation Clean Confirmational Analysis of Emergency Response Actions in EPA Region 7 and 10
Garcia Recording
Speaker Bio: James Garcia
James Garcia possesses a Master’s Degree in Applied Natural Science (chemistry) and Bachelors in Chemistry and Biology. He currently serves as a Senior Chemist with U.S. EPA’s PHILIS Program. He has worked for more than 15 years with analytical chemistry and methods development in the environmental, pharmaceutical, and oil and gas industries.
Abstract:
Objective: The PHILIS mobile laboratories developed methods for the analysis of opiate and recreational drugs in wipe sample matrices utilizing a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer and GC-time of flight. These methods provide rapid turn-around-time for analytical results while preserving data quality.
Significance: PHILIS’s mission is to provide the EPA CBRN CMAD with legally defensible data in the analysis of hazardous and toxic compounds in a rapid turn-around environment. Our sample preparation and analysis methods allow for the detection and quantitation of opiate and recreational drugs for clean confirmation. Providing rapid turnaround of analytical results for facility clearance decisions hastens recovery time during the remediation of toxic contaminated sites. Procedures and Equipment Utilized: PHILIS employs UPLC/MS/MS and GC-TOF for opioid and recreational drug analyses. These systems provide low detection limits and faster sample preparation times. UPLC/MS/MS samples were extracted with methanol, shaken and micro-centrifuged for direct injection into the system. Samples prepped for GC-TOF were extracted with methanol using pressurized solvent extraction.
Analytes of interest: methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, remifentanil, acetylfentanyl, fentanyl, carfentanil, sulfentanil and alfentanil. Results Obtained: PHILIS achieved low ng/wipe levels for wipe samples. PHILIS provided support for the following recent projects. Decontamination of a Car in Kansas City, Region 7. Aug 2022 A car used for smuggling opioids was seized by enforcement agents. PHILIS analyzed wipe samples from surfaces that were previously decontaminated to ensure cleanup levels were met.
Region 10 Motel Opioid Emergency Response. April 2023
A room in a motel was used for the cutting and distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine. PHILIS analyzed wipe samples from surfaces that were previously decontaminated to ensure cleanup levels were met. Region 10 Oregon Jail Cell. Jan. 2022
High levels of fentanyl were discovered in the jail cell. PHILIS provided wipe sample kits and a sampling SOP to the sampling team to support the clean confirmational analysis, with clean levels established at 0.1 ug/wipe. PHILIS analyzed wipe samples that exhibited high background contamination.
Region 7 Fentanyl Trailer. Nov. 2021:
State troopers seized a trailer that was loaded with 118 pounds of pure fentanyl powder. The trailer was unloaded and decontaminated.
Water Sector Resilience | December 7, 2023 from 10:00 am - 11:40 am
Moderator: Katherine Ratliff, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Dr. Katherine Ratliff is a principal investigator at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Research and Development, working under EPA’s Homeland Security Research Program in the Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response. She uses numerical models, lab, and field-scale studies to develop and evaluate tools for remediating environmental contaminants, including leading EPA’s research to evaluate the efficacy of different air treatment technologies against airborne pathogens. Dr. Ratliff received her B.A. in Earth and Environmental Sciences from Vanderbilt University and a Ph.D. in Earth and Ocean Sciences from Duke University.
Speakers: O'Donnell | Szabo | Amer | Whelton
Operational Technology Cybersecurity Landscape: Avoiding Contamination Events
O'Donnell Recording
Speaker Bio: Daniel O'Donnell
Daniel O’Donnell is a cybersecurity expert that serves Booz Allen’s government and commercial clients within the operational technology (OT) cybersecurity practice. Daniel has helped to protect key infrastructure sectors and industries with cybersecurity, supporting the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) as well as Fortune 100 and Global 2000 companies. Prior to his current role, Daniel has several years of industrial control systems engineering and technology development experience within the oil and gas, energy, and manufacturing industries. Daniel has a B.S. in information sciences and technology, A.S. in Electrical Engineering Technology, and A.S. in Mechanical Engineering Technology from The Pennsylvania State University. Daniel is certified in CompTIA Security+ (Plus), Amazon Web Services Certified Cloud Practitioner Certification (AWS CCP), and ICAgile Certified Professional (ICP).
Abstract:
In March 2018, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) issued a joint alert that the Russian government was specifically targeting the water sector and other critical infrastructure sectors as part of a multi-stage intrusion campaign. Since critical infrastructure has been specifically targeted by cyber threat actors, an attack on the OT systems that control physical processes has the potential to: (1) contaminate the drinking water and potentially require the decontamination and disposal of affected water; (2) manipulate sensors to hide or falsely indicate a contamination event or purposely overstate the success of decontamination; (3) interrupt the delivery of water for consumption and other critical community needs (e.g., hospitals); (4) damage plant equipment requiring costly repairs; and (5) risk the safety of site personnel. A cyber-attack does not have to be successful to damage business reputation and customer confidence. In this presentation we will cover the OT Threat Landscape and challenges to securing OT systems in critical infrastructure. One of the significant challenges is that OT systems are not secure by design. These systems have a large lifecycle which leads to a high volume of legacy equipment using insecure protocols or are no longer supported by the manufacturer. Further compounding the issue, hyperconnectivity is another trend that increases the cybersecurity risk as the demand for operational data increases to better support business processes and decision-making. To illustrate OT threats and challenges, the presentation will focus on several case studies such as the 2020 attack against the Israeli Water and the 2000 Maroochy Shire attack in Australia. In the Israeli Water attack, the threat actors attempted to hack into industrial control systems on multiple Israeli water pumping and treatment stations with the intent to raise the level of chlorine to dangerous levels. In addition, the attacker gained initial access via internet accessible OT devices that used default passwords at water pumping and treatment stations. During the presentation, we will provide a review of the key details such as the kill-chain of the attacks as well as lessons learned that could have prevented or mitigated the attacks. We will also highlight Booz Allen’s cybersecurity lab, which we use to support clients in addressing challenges in securing OT systems in critical infrastructure.
Water Distribution System Cybersecurity Research at the Water Security Test Bed
Szabo Recording
Speaker Bio: Jeffrey Szabo
Jeff Szabo has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and a M.S. and PhD in Environmental Engineering, all from the University of Cincinnati and is a registered Professional Engineer in Ohio. He has worked for the U.S. EPA for 18 years. He conducts and manages water security research projects at EPA’s Test and Evaluation (T&E) facility and the Water Security Test Bed (WSTB) at the Idaho National Lab (INL). These projects include examining chemical, biological, and radiological contaminant persistence on drinking water and wastewater infrastructure and evaluation of decontamination and water treatment methods.
Abstract:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the lead federal agency responsible for working with water utilities to protect water systems. Cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure worldwide are on the rise. Documented attempts, successful and unsuccessful, include three attacks against the water sector in the United States in 2021. Presidential directives mandate increased cybersecurity for critical infrastructure sectors in the United States. The Agency has partnered with the Department of Energy (DOE) Idaho National Laboratory, Schneider Electric, Siemens, West Yost, DC Water, and Boise State University to develop the firstof-its-scale water security test bed (WSTB). The WSTB replicates a section of a typical municipal drinking water piping system with roughly 450 feet of pipe, water quality sensors, hydrants, and valves. The purpose of conducting research at the WSTB facility has been to evaluate infrastructure and premise plumbing decontamination technologies, mobile emergency water treatment systems, and now the prevention, mitigation, and quick return-to-service of distribution system Operational Technology (OT) hardware and software compromised by cyber-attacks.
This public, private, and academic partnership is expanding the WSTB to include OT distribution system hardware and software representative of the age, manufacturer, and operating systems typically found in water utilities across the U.S. Water tanks, pumps, level sensors, SCADA, an operator control room are being added to the WSTB to enable testing, training, experiments, and vulnerability verification, the results of which can be used to increase the robustness of water critical infrastructure. Ultimately, this additional infrastructure is designed to accommodate different vendor equipment operating in a common production environments, mirroring configurations currently supporting water utilities in the field. The test bed and the data it generates are expected to increase the cybersecurity posture for water critical infrastructure as well as provide research and testing space for product and solution maturity, validation of potential services, and the overall safety and security of the U.S. water supply. This presentation will summarize work to date on establishing the test bed and the path forward.
Future Proofing Septic Systems to Sea-Level Rise: Valuing Adaptations and Decision Modelling
Amer Recording
Speaker Bio: Lamis Amer
Lamis Amer is currently a PhD candidate in Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE) at the University of Miami. Her research is uniquely positioned at the nexus of operations research, risk and resilience assessment and decision modeling for climate mitigation and adaptation. In her doctoral work, Lamis has concentrated on the development of adaptive decision-making models to enhance resilience in the face of sea-level rise, specifically targeting the wastewater treatment and disposal systems. This research, aimed at fortifying infrastructure against the challenges posed by climate change. During her master's studies, Lamis demonstrated her commitment to sustainable practices by designing environmentally friendly transportation systems. She focused on optimizing cold distribution activities using reefer trucks, a critical contribution to green logistics. For this exemplary work, she was nominated for the EthOR and IFORS awards in 2015 and 2017, both of which emphasize the role of operations research in building a sustainable and ethical future. Lamis has actively shared her ongoing research with the wider scientific and environmental community, presenting at conferences such as the American Geophysical Union Fall meeting and The UM Climate and Health Symposium. Her involvement showcases her commitment to disseminating knowledge that is vital to addressing the climate crisis. Beyond her academic achievements, Lamis has shown a passion for climate advocacy. She has volunteered in events aimed at raising awareness about climate change and is a committed member of the Resilience Youth Network (RYN). Among her contributions to the RYN is the development of a fellowship curriculum on resilience and climate adaptation, illustrating her dedication to educating the next generation of climate-conscious advocates. Her work symbolizes a bridge between academic research and practical solutions, underscoring her position as a forward-thinking scholar in climate change.
Abstract:
Since 1994, sea levels have risen 4 inches, and are expected to rise an additional 3-6 inches by 2030. This has led to higher groundwater levels, more frequent flooding events, and rainfall, in addition to saltwater intrusion, coastal erosion, etc. These impacts pose risks to the operability of critical infrastructures including decentralized wastewater treatment systems, a.k.a septic system. These systems partially treat wastewater in the septic tank, where solid waste rests in the bottom, and the effluent flows from the tank to a drain field. The drain field then transfers the effluent through to the groundwater through the soil where it undergoes final treatment process. Unsaturated soil conditions and a minimum vertical separation distance between the bottom of the drain field and the groundwater ensure proper functioning of septic systems. With the rising sea levels, these conditions are compromised.
In our research, we first propose a methodology to assess the resilience of septic systems due to future sea levels. In our analysis, we consider the ability of the existing septic systems to resist and adapt to current and future conditions. The developed resilience assessment model encompasses the relationships between the septic systems and other critical infrastructure systems, including freshwater resources and drinking water resources; including drinking water wells, in order to evaluate the extent of impact propagation. Then, a resilience index is proposed and deployed to inform adaptation decision-making. In the proposed adaptation decision-making model several adaptation strategies are considered, and a techno-economic analysis is performed in order to optimize the integrated adaptation portfolio while meeting minimum resilience thresholds. The addressed adaptation strategies include on-site adaptation such as mound (elevated) septic systems, the extension of the regional sewer network, and developing clusters of micro-sewer networks serviced by package plants. We present our methodology on a case study in Miami-Dade County, Florida.
Improved Decisions to Protect Health After Wildfires Attack Utility and Building Plumbing Drinking Water Infrastructure
Whelton Recording
Speaker Bio: Andrew J. Whelton
Dr. Whelton is a nationally recognized environmental engineer. Dr. Whelton has applied his unique skill set for 20 years to uncover and address problems at the interface of infrastructure materials, the environment, and public health. Topics pertaining to disaster response and recovery as well as construction site safety are just two of many topics his research has impacted. Dr. Whelton team's discoveries have positively changed how government agencies (EPA, CDC, NRC, NIOSH, NIST, Army, Navy), water utilities, nonprofit organizations, health departments, state legislatures, and building owners approach their responsibilities. Before joining Purdue University, he served on the faculty at the University of South Alabama and worked for the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) Building Fire Research Laboratory, Virginia Tech, U.S. Army, and private engineering consulting firms. A hallmark of his work is direct engagement with communities at risk. His teams have established technical support centers and websites to make discoveries accessible to the public and communities of interest. He earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering, M.S. in Environmental Engineering, and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech.
Abstract:
Wildfires, floods and other disasters can profoundly impact the safety of drinking water delivered by infrastructure for large and small water systems and building plumbing. When drinking water systems are damaged or contaminated, population displacement and business closures can occur. Impacted households can lose public confidence and experience mental health and financial impacts. For wildfires alone in the U.S., tens of thousands of public water systems and roughly 50% of buildings nationwide are vulnerable. Accidents and intentional events can also prompt acute health risks. Utility professionals and health officials are often looked to after a disaster when drinking water safety is a concern. This presentation will share firsthand lessons from helping water utilities and communities respond to the deadliest, most destructive, and costliest wildfires in recent US history. These include the 2018 Camp Fire, 2021 Marshall Fire, 2020 and 2022 wildfires in Oregon and New Mexico, and 2023 in Maui, Hawai'i. Lessons from responding to and helping communities recover from other chemical spill, backflow incidents, and other disasters will also be shared. Emerging research results regarding water utility and community preparedness, post-disaster decision making, as well as technical issues will be shared such as identifying chemical contamination sources, contamination and decontamination of utility and plumbing infrastructure.