CBRN and terror: the weapon of mass disruption
The threat of CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear) terrorism is that of a weapon of 'mass disruption', potentially causing sudden and widespread public fear of the possibly invisible threat and its unknowable consequences
The likelihood is that in an office location or wider geographic region suspected of contamination a frightened and intimidated staff or general public will choose to stay away. The result could be disruption, perhaps to public services and economic activity on a massive scale – certainly if major conurbations or transport networks are affected.
Counter terrorism measures for dealing with biological threats have been limited in their scope and effectiveness to date. The range of technologies available has offered only partial protection, and they are inherently slow to deal with the effects of any contamination, taking several hours or even days to clean a room.
Air filtration systems, for example, require that all the air in an internal space should pass through the unit in order to clean it. The process is unable to deal effectively with any surface contaminants. Most seriously, any area treated might never be considered to be completely safe; the threat could be long-lived.
Now scientists at Tri-Air Developments have combined three separate technologies in a patented system in order to overcome the inherent shortcomings of each individual process. The result is an air purification, rather than a filtration system that combines non-thermal plasma, ultraviolet catalysis, and Hydroxyl Radical generation.
The overall effect is to simulate the natural purification properties of fresh air, creating the cleansing conditions that occur outdoors, to destroy pathogenic viruses and bacteria both in the air and on surface contact in minutes. This environment is lethal to viruses and bacteria, including Flu and MRSA, and continually decontaminates by a process of advanced oxidation.
The three technologies are each fully established, and the benefits of 'fresh air' are well known: in the inter-war years sufferers of Tuberculosis were often treated in hospital beds located outdoors, such as along the Thames Embankment.
In the Tri-Air unit, the non-thermal plasma acts as an electron-rich filter in the unit to create ozone, most of which is catalysed with the ultraviolet light: the residue mixes with volatile hydrocarbons which are contained in a replaceable terpene cartridge, extracted from plant life, to create a cascade of 'fresh air' outside of the device. This output quickly diffuses throughout a room, to be replaced by the system and provide constant background protection to any people or animals present.
Importantly, the process does not require all of the air within a room to pass through the unit, which ensures a faster rate of purification than alternative systems. Also, whilst viruses are rendered harmless, they still trigger the body's immune reaction, thereby creating a further safeguard against the spread of disease.
The technology has been tested by the UK's Health Protection Agency for its ability to kill both airborne and surface bacteria and viruses, and was shown to be 99.999 per cent effective in killing an airborne test Staphylococcus of the same genus as MRSA in less than two minutes. It significantly reduces airborne spores similar to C. difficile in one hour.
The new decontamination technology is scalable from a personal device for VIPs or security staff, to a stand-alone unit to safeguard a post room, for example, and full integration in ventilation systems. The technology can be tuned for constant low-level background protection, up to a 'fail-safe' setting for a Cat.4 facility.
Gideon Davenport, CEO of Tri-Air Developments
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