An Ohio-based company will be decontaminating N95 protective masks in Delaware County. Personnel from Battelle, based in Columbus, Ohio, were setting up Friday morning, May 1. They hoped to begin work in the evening.
Vivian Smith, a principal research scientist biologist with Battelle, said each of the four decontamination units could handle 10,000 masks at a time. The protective gear is placed in the cleaning chambers and then hit with vaporized hydrogen peroxide — a 35 percent solution — for about three-and-a-half hours. They are then aerated for another three to four hours before they are sealed and returned to the hospital that sent them. Each participating hospital gets its own masks back.
The aeration process includes running the exhaust through a series of HEPA filters before being vented into the environment, Smith added.
The procedure is for medical personnel and first responders, not for the general public, said Tim Boyce, director of Delaware County's Department of Emergency Services. Reporters were asked not to disclose the actual location of the decontamination facility, and Boyce said that was at the request of the business owner whose property is being used. The Delaware County site will handle masks from participating hospitals in the Philadelphia region.
Battelle received a $415 million dollar contract from the Food and Drug Administration to set up 60 such facilities across the country; there are 32 facilities set up so far, according to Smith. However, the FDA initially said no to Battelle.
In March, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine released a statement expressing disappointment with the FDA for blocking Battelle's effort. The agency initially limited the company from decontaminating more than 10,000 masks per day and would not allow the company to send its technology to other states. The FDA eventually changed its position.
"Battelle's innovative technology has the capability to protect healthcare professionals and first responders in Ohio and across the country, but in this time of crisis, the FDA has decided not to support those who are risking their lives to save others. This is a matter of life and death. I am not only disappointed by this development, but I'm also stunned that the FDA would decline to do all it can to protect this country's frontline workers in this serious time of need," DeWine said in his statement of March 29.
The full statement may be found here.
About Rich Schwartzman
Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.
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