EPA Testing Disinfectants For Effectiveness Against COVID-19

By: Hayden Bodiford
July 22, 2020

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) researchers are evaluating a number of commercially available products for potential long-lasting effectiveness against COVID-19, according to a press release.

This research is being conducted at the EPA Office of Research and Development’s Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, using surfaces that mimic the high touch points in mass transit trains and stations.

“As part of the Trump Administration’s all-of-America response to COVID-19, EPA scientists, in collaboration with some of the nation’s largest transit agencies, are providing real-time, important information on longer-lasting disinfectants that could revolutionize how we minimize COVID and COVID-like risks in public spaces,” says EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “While the country begins to safely reopen, we understand that mass transit is a concern to the public and our scientists are actively addressing these challenges.”

EPA is working directly with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), North America’s largest transportation network, on evaluating EPA-registered anti-microbial products across New York City Transit to determine their ability to provide effective anti-virus protection over time.

Currently, EPA-registered products that claim long-lasting effectiveness are limited to those that control odor-causing bacteria on hard, non-porous surfaces. There are no EPA-registered products that claim long-lasting disinfection. The benefit of a longer-lasting antimicrobial product is the reduced need to clean and disinfect a surface or object every time after someone new touches it. Transit agencies around the country are currently using multi-step cleaning and disinfection processes, but would greatly benefit from a product that had long-lasting disinfection capabilities.

EPA researchers will determine whether antimicrobial products can provide residual disinfection on surfaces over time and how durable the disinfection ability of the product is with normal use, including routine cleaning and natural weathering. Data generated by EPA researchers will inform any regulatory decisions (including the approval and use of these products according to the label) made as part of the pesticide registration process through the Office of Pesticide Programs.

EPA researchers are also evaluating other possible high-efficiency alternative methods to disinfect such as ultraviolet light (UV), ozone, and steam that could be used on public transit systems to keep trains, buses and facilities clean and safe for passengers. They are also studying promising disinfectant application methods such as electrostatic sprayers or foggers.

As part of this effort, EPA has partnered with L.A. Metro, the third largest transit agency in the United States, to evaluate a number of new technologies, including UVC lighting and air filtration systems, to combat the virus that causes COVID-19 on public transit systems.

EPA will make the results of this research available to help inform decisions on the use of longer-lasting disinfection products, including information on the frequency of use to maintain disinfection capabilities over time.

Read the Original Article HERE

Hayden Bodiford

Social Media and PR Manager for 360clean. Based in Charleston, SC

Related Posts

10 Tips to Boost Your Dental Practice’s Efficiency | 360clean

10 Tips to Boost Your Dental Practice’s Efficiency

Running a dental practice is no small feat. Between managing patient schedules, performing treatments, and keeping up with administrative tasks, it's easy for efficiency to slip through the cracks. But a well-oiled dental office not only improves patient...

how-to-clean-a-school-library-graphic-360clean

How to Clean a School Library

There are so many places for dust and germs to accumulate in a library, and books are just one of those places! Administrators and teachers will want their students and family members to feel comfortable in high traffic areas like a library, especially at times...

Want one less headache as a facility manager? Let us handle cleaning!

Medical-grade cleaning

Reliable cleaners

Competitive pricing

Responsive support

Get a Free Proposal

This will close in 0 seconds

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
Name

This will close in 0 seconds

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
Name

This will close in 0 seconds

Interested in Cleaning Kickbacks?


Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

This will close in 0 seconds