Firefighters are exposed to carcinogens such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) during fires and from their personal protective equipment (PPE). Recent research has shown that decontamination processes can reduce contamination on both gear and skin. While firefighter cultures that honor dirty gear are changing, little is known about current attitude...

Chemical warfare agents (CWAs) are one of the most toxic compounds. Degradation CWAs using decontamination is few ways to protect human health against harmful effects CWAs. A ferrate (VI)-based potential chemical agent decontaminant was studied for degradation persistent nitrogen mustard (tris(2-chloroethyl)amine, HN3). By optimizing reaction conditions, complete HN3 achieved in 4 min. The prod...

STUDY OBJECTIVE We performed an assessment of hospital preparedness for weapons of mass destruction (WMD) incidents in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region III. METHODS Interviews of hospital personnel were completed in 30 hospitals. Data collected included level of preparedness, mass decontamination capabilities, training of hospital staff, and facility security capabilities. ...

Current events across the globe necessitate rapid technological advances to combat the epidemic of nerve agent chemical weapons. Biocatalysis has emerged as a viable tool in the detoxification of organophosphorus neurotoxins, such as the chemical weapons VX and sarin. Efficient detoxification of contaminated equipment, machinery, and soils are of principal concern. This study describes the inco...

This project is to develop a low-temperature microwave catalytic oxidation system that will effectively decontaminate air containing aerosolized or gaseous chemical agents (CWAs). To protect personnel in shelters, catalytic oxidation systems should (1) destroy CWAs in air at low temperatures to avoid NOx formation, (2) remove sulfur dioxide produced from the oxidation of CWAs containing sulfur ...

Biological and chemical terrorism is a growing concern for the emergency preparedness community. While health care facilities (HCFs) are an essential component of the emergency response system, at present they are poorly prepared for such incidents. The greatest challenge for HCFs may be the sudden presentation of large numbers of contaminated individuals. Guidelines for managing contaminated p...

So far the study of chemical burns has lacked techniques to define penetration kinetics and the effects of decontamination within biological structures. In this study, we aim to demonstrate that high-resolution optical coherence tomography (HR-OCT) can close this gap. Rabbit corneas were exposed ex vivo to 2.5% hydrofluoric acid (HF) solution, and microstructural changes were monitored in the t...