Decontamination and digestion of infectious animal waste using a tissue dissolver in an animal biosafety level 3 facility.
Alkaline hydrolysis-based tissue dissolvers (TDs) are commercially available tools for the digestion and decontamination of infectious animal waste. The authors carried out a series of experiments to verify whether the TD in their facility completely digested animal carcasses and inactivated infectious agents. Using the manufacturer's recommended cycle parameters, the TD inactivated a high concentration of chemically resistant bacterial spores used as a surrogate for the infectious agents in use in the facility. Animal tissues were completely digested into a non-infectious liquid effluent that could be disposed of directly to the sanitary sewer. Reducing the cycle time by 50% still inactivated all spores, although a small amount of tissue remained undigested. The authors recommend that each facility carry out its own experiments to verify the efficacy of a TD before use, given that the design and style of TD as well as the composition of the tissue load is likely to vary between facilities.
Department of Environmental Health and Safety, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. LCE3@pitt.edu
Lesley C
LC
Homer
Daniel J
DJ
Fisher
Dennis T
DT
Heflin
Kelly Stefano
KS
Cole
D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D000830:Animals, Laboratory; D003666:Decontamination / Q000379:methods*; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000737:chemistry*; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology; D006256:Hazardous Waste / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006878:Hydroxides / Q000737:chemistry*; D017680:Potassium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D012037:Refuse Disposal / Q000379:methods*; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry
D004202:Disinfectants; D006256:Hazardous Waste; D006878:Hydroxides; D017680:Potassium Compounds; C029943:potassium hydroxide