Anthrax

:Alternate meanings in Anthrax (disambiguation)

Site cleanup

Anthrax spores can survive for long periods of time without a host when they are released. Methods of cleaning up the site of anthrax attack or accident commonly use oxidizing agents such as peroxides. These agents can destroy bacterial spores but they work slowly.

Related Topics:
Oxidizing agent - Peroxides

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To speed up the process, trace amounts of a non-toxic catalyst composed of iron and tetro-amido macrocyclic ligands is combined with sodium carbonate and bicarbonate and made into a spray. This spray is applied to an infected area and is followed by another spray containing tertiary-butyl hydroperoxide.

Related Topics:
Catalyst - Iron - Ligand - Sodium carbonate - Bicarbonate

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Using the catalyst method a complete kill of all the spores takes 30 minutes. A standard catalyst-free spray destroys fewer than half the spores in the same amount of time.

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