Analysis of the Effectiveness of Decontamination Fluids on the Level of Biological Contamination of Firefighter Suits
The scope of tasks of chemical and ecological rescue procedures includes prevention of terrorist attacks with biological weapons. After each action, firefighters are obliged to clean and disinfect their outfits to prevent the potential spreading of harmful microorganisms. This study aimed to analyze...
Main Authors: | , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
MDPI AG
2020-04-01
|
Series: | International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/8/2815 |
id |
doaj-d680e55a7fce40d18edf35bad615ede3 |
---|---|
record_format |
Article |
spelling |
doaj-d680e55a7fce40d18edf35bad615ede32020-11-25T02:37:37ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health1661-78271660-46012020-04-01172815281510.3390/ijerph17082815Analysis of the Effectiveness of Decontamination Fluids on the Level of Biological Contamination of Firefighter SuitsAndrzej Polanczyk0Aleksandra Piechota-Polanczyk1Anna Dmochowska2Malgorzata Majder-Lopatka3Zdzislaw Salamonowicz4The Main School of Fire Service, Slowackiego 52/54 Street, 01-629 Warsaw, PolandDepartment of Medical Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7 Street, 30-387 Krakow, PolandThe Main School of Fire Service, Slowackiego 52/54 Street, 01-629 Warsaw, PolandThe Main School of Fire Service, Slowackiego 52/54 Street, 01-629 Warsaw, PolandThe Main School of Fire Service, Slowackiego 52/54 Street, 01-629 Warsaw, PolandThe scope of tasks of chemical and ecological rescue procedures includes prevention of terrorist attacks with biological weapons. After each action, firefighters are obliged to clean and disinfect their outfits to prevent the potential spreading of harmful microorganisms. This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness of decontamination fluids used to disinfect firefighter’s suits. Two types of clothes were analyzed: special combat clothing (NOMEX), and the heavy gas-tight chemical type 1a suit. Swabbed places were cut out and sterilized mechanically using detergent and alcohol. Each time, smears were made on sterile glass, fixed in pure ethanol and stained using the Gram method. After this, the staining samples were air dried and photographed under a light microscope at magnification 1000×. Each smear was made in triplicate and the relative number of stained microorganisms was analyzed using ImageJ software. The results showed that detergent significantly decreased the number of pathogens in the chest area on the NOMEX suit and the type 1a-gas-tight clothing and was more effective than alcohol, especially in case of the NOMEX suit. In conclusion, the detergent was more efficient in decontaminating the NOMEX outfit than the heavy gas-tight clothing, whose surface was better cleaned by the alcohol.https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/8/2815biological decontaminationGram’s methoddecontaminationfirefighter special outfit |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Andrzej Polanczyk Aleksandra Piechota-Polanczyk Anna Dmochowska Malgorzata Majder-Lopatka Zdzislaw Salamonowicz |
spellingShingle |
Andrzej Polanczyk Aleksandra Piechota-Polanczyk Anna Dmochowska Malgorzata Majder-Lopatka Zdzislaw Salamonowicz Analysis of the Effectiveness of Decontamination Fluids on the Level of Biological Contamination of Firefighter Suits International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health biological decontamination Gram’s method decontamination firefighter special outfit |
author_facet |
Andrzej Polanczyk Aleksandra Piechota-Polanczyk Anna Dmochowska Malgorzata Majder-Lopatka Zdzislaw Salamonowicz |
author_sort |
Andrzej Polanczyk |
title |
Analysis of the Effectiveness of Decontamination Fluids on the Level of Biological Contamination of Firefighter Suits |
title_short |
Analysis of the Effectiveness of Decontamination Fluids on the Level of Biological Contamination of Firefighter Suits |
title_full |
Analysis of the Effectiveness of Decontamination Fluids on the Level of Biological Contamination of Firefighter Suits |
title_fullStr |
Analysis of the Effectiveness of Decontamination Fluids on the Level of Biological Contamination of Firefighter Suits |
title_full_unstemmed |
Analysis of the Effectiveness of Decontamination Fluids on the Level of Biological Contamination of Firefighter Suits |
title_sort |
analysis of the effectiveness of decontamination fluids on the level of biological contamination of firefighter suits |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |
issn |
1661-7827 1660-4601 |
publishDate |
2020-04-01 |
description |
The scope of tasks of chemical and ecological rescue procedures includes prevention of terrorist attacks with biological weapons. After each action, firefighters are obliged to clean and disinfect their outfits to prevent the potential spreading of harmful microorganisms. This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness of decontamination fluids used to disinfect firefighter’s suits. Two types of clothes were analyzed: special combat clothing (NOMEX), and the heavy gas-tight chemical type 1a suit. Swabbed places were cut out and sterilized mechanically using detergent and alcohol. Each time, smears were made on sterile glass, fixed in pure ethanol and stained using the Gram method. After this, the staining samples were air dried and photographed under a light microscope at magnification 1000×. Each smear was made in triplicate and the relative number of stained microorganisms was analyzed using ImageJ software. The results showed that detergent significantly decreased the number of pathogens in the chest area on the NOMEX suit and the type 1a-gas-tight clothing and was more effective than alcohol, especially in case of the NOMEX suit. In conclusion, the detergent was more efficient in decontaminating the NOMEX outfit than the heavy gas-tight clothing, whose surface was better cleaned by the alcohol. |
topic |
biological decontamination Gram’s method decontamination firefighter special outfit |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/8/2815 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT andrzejpolanczyk analysisoftheeffectivenessofdecontaminationfluidsonthelevelofbiologicalcontaminationoffirefightersuits AT aleksandrapiechotapolanczyk analysisoftheeffectivenessofdecontaminationfluidsonthelevelofbiologicalcontaminationoffirefightersuits AT annadmochowska analysisoftheeffectivenessofdecontaminationfluidsonthelevelofbiologicalcontaminationoffirefightersuits AT malgorzatamajderlopatka analysisoftheeffectivenessofdecontaminationfluidsonthelevelofbiologicalcontaminationoffirefightersuits AT zdzislawsalamonowicz analysisoftheeffectivenessofdecontaminationfluidsonthelevelofbiologicalcontaminationoffirefightersuits |
_version_ |
1724794417381900288 |