Decontamination Field Tests for EPA

Testing the Effectiveness of Methyl Bromide (MB) for Decontamination

Our staff helped design, plan for, and implement field tests of decontamination technologies and methods using MB for EPA’s Consequence Management Advisory Division.

At the University of Florida’s Hurricane House, we helped demonstrate that MB could be used to successfully decontaminate a building exposed to a Bacillus anthracis surrogate. Working with University researchers, we designed and implemented the first successful air-scrubbing system to reduce release of MB into the environment during and after the test.

We also helped plan and conduct a mass transit rail car decontamination demonstration project, also using MB. Working on site at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, we provided technical assistance for the successful project. We scaled down the scrubber system designed for the Hurricane House project to smaller vessels for greater manageability.