Aims: To evaluate the decontamination of Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus subtilis, and Geobacillus stearothermophilus spores on indoor surface materials using hydrogen peroxide gas. Methods and Results: Bacillus anthracis, B. subtilis, and G. stearothermophilus spores were dried on seven types of indoor surfaces and exposed to ‡1000 ppm hydrogen peroxide gas for 20 min. Hydrogen peroxide exposure significantly decreased viable B. anthracis, B. subtilis, and G. stearothermophilus spores on all test materials except G. stearothermophilus on industrial carpet. Significant differences were observed when comparing the reduction in viable spores of B. anthracis with both surrogates. The effectiveness of gaseous hydrogen peroxide on the growth of biological indicators and spore strips was evaluated in parallel as a qualitative assessment of decontamination. At 1 and 7 days postexposure, decontaminated biological indicators and spore strips exhibited no growth, while the nondecontaminated samples displayed growth. Conclusions: Significant differences in decontamination efficacy of hydrogen peroxide gas on porous and nonporous surfaces were observed when comparing the mean log reduction in B. anthracis spores with B. subtilis and G. stearothermophilus spores. Significance and Impact of the Study: These results provide comparative information for the decontamination of B. anthracis spores with surrogates on indoor surfaces using hydrogen peroxide gas.

Existing quantitative standards/guidelines for fungi in indoor air issued by governmental agencies are based primarily on baseline data (rather than health effects data), and are either absolute (numerical) or relative (indoor/outdoor comparisons) or a combination of the two. The Russian Federation is the only governmental agency that has binding quantitative regulations for bioaerosols. Recommended guidelines have been proposed or sponsored by North American and European governmental agencies and private professional organizations. A considerable number of frequently cited guidelines have been proposed by individuals based either on baseline data or on personal experience. Quantitative standards/guidelines range from less than 100 CFU/ m 3 to greater than 1000 CFU/m 3 (total fungi) as the upper limit for non-contaminated indoor environments.Major issues with existing quantitative standards and guidelines are the lack of connection to human dose/response data, reliance on short term grab samples analyzed only by culture, and the absence of standardized protocols for data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Urgent research needs include the study of human responses to specific fungal agents, development and widespread use of standard protocols using currently available sampling methodologies, and the development of long term, time-discriminating personal samplers that are inexpensive, easy to use, and amenable to straightforward, relevant analysis. IMPLICATIONSExposure to fungal aerosols clearly can cause human disease. However, methods for assessing exposure remain poorly understood, and approaches for interpreting data are often contradictory. This paper reviews and compares existing quantitative standards and guidelines for indoor airborne fungi, discusses the limitations, and identifies research needs that should contribute to the development of realistic and useful practices regarding these important air pollutants.

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Experimental data from a laboratory-scale wet scrubber simulator confirmed that oxidized mercury, Hg2+, can be reduced by aqueous S(IV) (sulfite and/or bisulfite) species and results in elemental mercury (HgO) emissions under typical wet FGD scrubber conditions. The S(IV)-induced Hg2+ reduction and Hg0 emission mechanism can be described by a model which assumes that only a fraction of the Hg2+ can be reduced, and the rate-controlling step of the overall process is a first-order reaction involving the Hg-S(IV) complexes. Experimental data and model simulations predict that the Hg2+ in the flue gas can cause rapid increase of Hg0 concentration in the flue gas across a FGD scrubber. Forced oxidation can enhance Hg2+ reduction and Hg0 emission by decreasing the S(IV) concentration in the scrubbing liquor. The model predictions also indicate that flue gas Hg0 increase across a wet FGD scrubber can be reduced by decreasing the pH, increasing S(IV) concentration, and lowering the temperature.