Airport Business - 27

DISINFECTING
disinfectants are now being used
much more frequently and just about
everywhere. This is happening so much
that a June 2020 article in Bloomberg
Law, " Rush to Disinfect Offices Has
Some Environmental Health Experts
Worried, " suggests we are overusing
disinfectants to the point that it is
replacing one problem with another.
These are " hugely toxic chemicals, "
says Claudia Miller, an immunologist,
allergist and coauthor of the book
Chemical Exposures: Low Levels and High
Stakes. " We're creating another problem
for a whole group of people and I'm
not sure we're actually controlling
infections. "

The Life Span of the
Virus on Surfaces
Almost from the beginning of the
pandemic, studies have found that the
coronavirus can live on surfaces for
as much as five days. This means that
during that time, if someone touches a
contaminated surface and then touches
their face, they can become infected.
Most studies have concluded that the
virus can live on glass for about five days;
wood, about four days; and plastic and
stainless-steel surfaces, three days.
However, a study published in
the British medical journal The Lancet
suggests that those results are only
accurate in the lab. In a real-life situation,
the study argues, the virus may only
live a few hours on surfaces, not a few
days. If this is true, the excessive use of
disinfectants can at least be minimized,
if not eliminated.
The study was authored by Emanuel

ALTURASOLUTIONS

HOW ABOUT USING
GREEN DISINFECTANTS
In Canada and a few other countries,
there are green-certified disinfectants.
These are made using ingredients that
have a reduced impact on the user and
the environment. They are not available

in the United States, however. Only EPAregistered disinfectants can be used in
the U.S. Effectiveness is the main concern
of the EPA; impact on the user and the
environment is not the key focus.

Goldman, professor of microbiology,
biochemistry and molecular genetics at
New Jersey Medical School at Rutgers
University. In essence, he says that while
laboratory tests find the virus can live
several days on surfaces, these tests " have
little resemblance to real-life scenarios. "
In laboratories, Goldman explains,
large samples of the virus are placed on
test surfaces. This is not what would
likely happen in a real-life situation.
Further, the virus is not allowed to dry
out in these studies. In other words,
measures are taken to keep the virus
alive.
" None of these studies present
scenarios akin to real-life situations, "
says Goldman. " By contrast, one
study found human coronavirus 229E
to survive for only three to six hours,
depending on the surface tested and
human coronavirus OC43 to survive
for one hour after drying on various
surfaces. "
If Goldman is correct, then many
of the surfaces in an airport that are
less frequently touched may not need
to be disinfected as often or possibly at
all. The pathogen that causes COVID19 may die or become deactivated on
its own.

" The CDC says that in most cases,
all that is needed to stop the spread of
COVID and many other diseases is
effective cleaning. " This is based on
a May 7, 2020, directive issued by the
CDC. The directive states:
Normal routine cleaning with soap and
water will decrease how much of the virus is
on surfaces and objects, which reduces the
risk of exposure.
However, Morrison points out that
in an airport setting, how surfaces are
cleaned is crucial to ensure they are
effectively cleaned. For instance, he
points to studies going back to the 1970s
that have found that mopping floors can
spread disease. Similar studies have been
conducted using cleaning cloths. These
studies found that as the mop or cloth
becomes saturated, instead of absorbing
pathogens, it spreads them further over
surfaces.
Morrison recommends that airport
administrators encourage the use of
no-touch or " spray-and-vac " cleaning
systems, as they are called by ISSA, the
worldwide cleaning association. With
these systems, no mops or cleaning
cloths are used in the cleaning process.
Rather, these machines apply fresh
cleaning solution to all surfaces to be
cleaned. The same areas are pressure
Decisions
rinsed, and then moisture and soils are
So where does this leave
vacuumed up.
us? What should airport
" While disinfectants can be used [in
administrators do to keep
no-touch cleaning], " adds Morrison,
their facilities healthy, " often they are not necessary. "
Does Morrison recommend not
but w it hout over disinfecting? According
using disinfectants, now that we know
to Matt Morrison with
they may be overused and may not
Kaivac, developers of
even be needed? No. He says more
studies, especially on the life span of the
professional cleaning
virus, are needed. " However, cleaning
systems designed to
frequencies with more effective cleaning
help stop the spread of
systems should be incorporated. There
infection, the Centers
for Disease Control and
has always been a close connection
Prevention (CDC) may
between cleaning and health. With
have the answer.
COVID, it is now center stage. " 

DECEMBER 2020 \ AVIATIONPROS.COM / 27
http://www.AVIATIONPROS.COM
Airport Business

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