title: Standard method for deposition of dry, aerosolized, silica-coated Bacillus spores onto inanimate surfaces.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate a standard aerosolization method for uniformly depositing threat-representative spores onto surfaces.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lyophilized Bacillus anthracis ΔSterne spores, coated in silica, were aerosolized into a containment chamber and deposited onto nine surface types by two independent laboratories. Laboratory A produced a mean loading concentration of 1·78 × 10(5) CFU cm(-2) ; coefficient of variation (CV) was <40% for 96% of samples. Laboratory B produced a mean loading concentration of 7·82 × 10(6) CFU cm(-2) ; 68% of samples demonstrated CV <40%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This method has been shown to meet the goal of loading threat-representative spores onto surfaces with low variability at concentrations relevant to the Department of Defense.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As demonstrated in 2001, a biological attack using anthrax disseminated as a dry powder is a credible threat. This method will provide a means to load spores onto surfaces that mimic a 'real-world' scenario of an aerosolized anthrax attack. The method has utility for evaluating sporicidal technologies and for nondecontamination studies, for example fate and transport or reaerosolization.
authors.affiliation: Engineering Science Division, Applied Research Associates, Panama City, FL, USA.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Harnish
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Heimbuch
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McDonald
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kinney
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dion
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stote
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rastogi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lumley
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schreuder-Gibson
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Wander
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols; D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000737:chemistry*; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D054045:Biological Warfare Agents; D005612:Freeze Drying; D006801:Humans; D011208:Powders / Q000737:chemistry; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry*; D055672:Static Electricity
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D054045:Biological Warfare Agents; D011208:Powders; D012822:Silicon Dioxide
keywords: Bacillus; aerosol; anthrax; antimicrobial; bioaerosol; deposition; infectious agents; spores