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Subject: DETECTION OF MEDICAL DEFENSE AGAINST BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS       

Unit: OTSG        

Parent Organization: HSC         

Box  ID: BX003203

Folder Title: DETECTION OF MEDICAL DEFENSE AGAINST BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS                                       

Document Number:          1

Folder Seq  #:         21













                                                      NATO UNCLASSIFIED


                                                           CHAPTER 5


                                              DECONTAMINATION AND DISINFECTION

                     GENERAL

                     501.  Decontamination and disinfection are measures which may become necessary
                     after an attack With biological agents.      As mentioned in Chapter 4, defensive
                     measures will serve no purpose unless a sufficiently effective warning system
                     is available.   According to present philosophy, the main reason for carrying
                     Out such decontamination and disinfection procedures would be to reduce
                     morbidity and the possibility Of secondary aerosols.       Such aerosols may, under
                     some conditions. be created from clothing, equipment, or material.
                     microorganisms deposited on surfaces may also cause other potential hazards,
                     particularly those of food and water contamination.

                     502.   Personnel suspected of having been in contact with a biological aerosol
                     should be decontaminated in a shelter (specially fitted tent, or seated
                     building) in accordance with paragraph 505.

                     GENERAL TECHNICAL PRINCIPLES:

                     503.   The general principles applicable Lo decontamination and disinfection
                     in the contexc of defence against biological agent attack are basic, relating
                     to general hygiene if the agent is a bacterium, a virus or a bacterial
                     Loxin. On the other hand in the case of some toxins, e.g., mycotoxin. or heat
                     stable Loxin, implementation of these gereral principles will be of a lesser
                     efficiency.

ngi are
                                 killed by boiling (100' centigrade) for a period of 10 minutes. In
                                 the case of bacterial spores, certain viruses (e.g. B or Delta
                                 hepatitis viruses) and certain toxins (e.g. staphylococcal
                                 enterOLoxin 8). a boiling time of several hours is necessary.
                                 Boiling temperature could be increased and accordingly, the
                                 procedure's efficiency, through addition of 48 g of calcium
                                 bicarbonate or 40 & of sodium chloride to one liter of the product
                                 to be treated. One of the main drawbacks to that method, however,
                                 is the precipitation of calcium salts contained in the water on
                                 objects submitted to boiling.

                                 If mycotoxins (T2, DAS, nivalenol) have been used, boiling of
                                 contaminated water or milk, and auLOCI&ving of soiled foods would
                                 not bt totally effeccive.
                                                                                    r
                                 Incineration is an absolute means of disinfection, but of a clearly
                                 limited use, being applicable only to combustible and expendable
                                 objects of negligible value. Flaming is an emergency process whose





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Document 109 f:/Week-36/BX003203/DETECTION OF MEDICAL DEFENSE AGAINST BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS/detection of medical defense against biological :1217960927452
Control Fields 17
File Room = sep96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-36
Box ID = BX003203
Unit = OTSG
Parent Organization = HSC
Folder Title = DETECTION OF MEDICAL DEFENSE AGAINST BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
Folder Seq # = 21
Subject = DETECTION OF MEDICAL DEFENSE AGAINST BIOLOGICAL
Document Seq # = 1
Document Date =
Scan Date =
Queued for Declassification = 01-JAN-1980
Short Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Long Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Permanent Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Non-Health Related Document = 01-JAN-1980
Declassified = 17-DEC-1996