EPA Webinar to Explore Use of Sprayers, Foggers to Disinfect Surfaces

Next Thursday, July 15, EPA will host a webinar on COVID-19 research related to the use of electrostatic sprayers and foggers to disinfect surfaces. According to the agency, the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection from surfaces remains low, but business owners, mass transit leaders, and others still need ways to disinfect large areas—including high-touch and complex, intricate surfaces—quickly and effectively. EPA explains that the use of these methods to apply disinfectants has “increased substantially” during the COVID-19 pandemic.

EPA researchers evaluated several types of electrostatic sprayers and foggers for parameters such as spray charge, droplet size, and disinfection efficacy, and two speakers from the agency will discuss the methods and results of this research. Scheduled presenters include Joseph Wood, a senior research engineer, and Matthew Magnuson, a research chemist—both with EPA’s Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response. Wood’s research focuses on the development, testing, and evaluation of technologies for decontaminating materials contaminated with biological agents and biotoxins, and Magnuson is involved in programs related to the analysis and environmental fate of chemical, biological, and radiological contaminants.

The upcoming webinar is part of EPA’s Emergency Response Research Webinar Series. Individuals interested in attending the event can register via Zoom.

Related: A feature article published in the March 2021 issue of The Synergist focuses on spraying disinfectants.