title: Evaluation of a wipe surface sample method for collection of Bacillus spores from nonporous surfaces.
abstract: Polyester-rayon blend wipes were evaluated for efficiency of extraction and recovery of powdered Bacillus atrophaeus spores from stainless steel and painted wallboard surfaces. Method limits of detection were also estimated for both surfaces. The observed mean efficiency of polyester-rayon blend wipe recovery from stainless steel was 0.35 with a standard deviation of +/-0.12, and for painted wallboard it was 0.29 with a standard deviation of +/-0.15. Evaluation of a sonication extraction method for the polyester-rayon blend wipes produced a mean extraction efficiency of 0.93 with a standard deviation of +/-0.09. Wipe recovery quantitative limits of detection were estimated at 90 CFU per unit of stainless steel sample area and 105 CFU per unit of painted wallboard sample area. The method recovery efficiency and limits of detection established in this work provide useful guidance for the planning of incident response environmental sampling following the release of a biological agent such as Bacillus anthracis.
authors.affiliation: Sandia National Laboratories, P.O. Box 5800, MS0734, Albuquerque, NM 87185, USA. gbrown@sandia.gov
authors.forename: Gary S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Rita G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Betty
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Brockmann
authors.forename: Daniel A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Lucero
authors.forename: Caroline A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: Kathryn S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: Raymond M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Boucher
authors.forename: Mathew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tezak
authors.forename: Mollye C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Todd
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rudolph
mesh_terms: D000881:Anthrax / Q000517:prevention & control; D001407:Bacillus / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D002482:Cellulose; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003252:Construction Materials / Q000382:microbiology*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D011091:Polyesters; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods*; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013193:Stainless Steel
chemical_list: D011091:Polyesters; D013193:Stainless Steel; D002482:Cellulose; C012024:rayon, purified