Assessment of Impact of Chlorine Dioxide on Electronic Equipment

Chlorine dioxide gas (ClO2) was used as a fumigant to decontaminate the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C., United States Postal Service's Processing and Distribution Centers in Washington, D. C. and New Jersey, and the American Media Inc. facility in Boca Raton, FL as part of the remediation following the "anthrax letters" incident in the fall of 2001 (see, e.g., Martin, 2003). Given the demonstrated ability of ClO2 to achieve the clearance criteria set forth for in-building decontamination of Bacillus anthracis (anthrax), there is a need to understand various practical aspects of using ClO2. Experimental work at the Environmental Protection Agency's National Homeland Security Research Center (EPA NHSRC) and other laboratories has resulted in substantial data regarding the efficacy of ClO2 to achieve the desired kill for various high-threat biological agents including anthrax (see, for example, U.S. EPA, 2010, Rogers et al., 2006, and Rastogi et al., 2010.) Assessment of the impact of the ClO2 fumigation environment on various materials and components has also been initiated in order to guide the selection and use of this fumigant for building and equipment decontamination. For example, the relative degree of ClO2-induced damage to structural materials has been reported by Brickhouse et al. (2008) in recent NHSRC work in collaboration with the Edgewood Chemical and Biological Center. Another concern that must be addressed is whether exposure to ClO2 results in damage, both immediate and long-term, to electronic equipment such as computers, specialized electronics, and data/information infrastructure that may be present in buildings and other structures requiring decontamination.