Formaldehyde gas inactivation of Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus subtilis, and Geobacillus stearothermophilus spores on indoor surface materials.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the decontamination of Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus subtilis, and Geobacillus stearothermophilus spores on indoor surface materials using formaldehyde gas.


RESULTS
B. anthracis, B. subtilis, and G. stearothermophilus spores were dried on seven types of indoor surfaces and exposed to approx. 1100 ppm formaldehyde gas for 10 h. Formaldehyde exposure significantly decreased viable B. anthracis, B. subtilis, and G. stearothermophilus spores on all test materials. Significant differences were observed when comparing the reduction in viable spores of B. anthracis with B. subtilis (galvanized metal and painted wallboard paper) and G. stearothermophilus (industrial carpet and painted wallboard paper). Formaldehyde gas inactivated>or=50% of the biological indicators and spore strips (approx. 1x10(6) CFU) when analyzed after 1 and 7 days.


CONCLUSIONS
Formaldehyde gas significantly reduced the number of viable spores on both porous and nonporous materials in which the two surrogates exhibited similar log reductions to that of B. anthracis on most test materials.


CONCLUSIONS
These results provide new comparative information for the decontamination of B. anthracis spores with surrogates on indoor surfaces using formaldehyde gas.
Rogers
J V
JV
Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, OH 43201, USA. rogersjv@battelle.org
Choi
Y W
YW
Richter
W R
WR
Rudnicki
D C
DC
Joseph
D W
DW
Sabourin
C L K
CL
Taylor
M L
ML
Chang
J C S
JC
D001407:Bacillus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003252:Construction Materials / Q000382:microbiology; D003666:Decontamination / Q000379:methods*; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001411:Geobacillus stearothermophilus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013499:Surface Properties
D004202:Disinfectants; D005557:Formaldehyde