Surface decontamination efficacy determination of DeconGel™ 1101 on stainless steel, carbon steel, and concrete surfaces contaminated with Pesticides (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT)) was performed with LC/MS (Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry) according to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) SW-846 Methods: 3500C (sampling) and 8321B (analysis).
Hazardous Materials Relevance
Pesticides can be dangerous to consumers and workers during manufacture, transport, or during and after use. DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) is a chlorinated aromatic pesticide that is a restricted persistent organic pollutant. DDT is a reproductive toxicant to birds, possesses endocrine disrupting activity in animals, and is considered moderately hazardous to humans by the World Health Organization (WHO). DDT was chosen as a representative pesticide; DeconGel is expected to have similar efficacy towards the wide range of pesticides.
- Excellent surface decontamination was achieved by applying DeconGel 1101 onto surfaces contaminated with pesticides (DDT) resulting in encapsulation of contaminants by DeconGel's active components. Decontamination efficacies of DeconGel 1101 ranged from 96.1% (on concrete) to 98.7% (on carbon steel) to 98.7% (on stainless steel) for DDT determined by residual swipe analysis.
- Optimized experimental and analytical methods were successfully developed following standardized EPA sampling and analysis methods as guidelines for determination of organic compounds dissolved in a suitable solvent able to completely solvate DDT as well as DeconGel components. When necessary, experimental methods were customized to afford complete dissolution of organic contaminants. Additionally, analytical methods and associated equipment (LC column, LC gradient program, MS sample ionization parameters) were appropriately utilized to ensure accurate decontamination efficacy determination of DeconGel.
Table 1 shows the decontamination efficacies of DeconGel 1101 on stainless steel, carbon steel, and concrete surfaces contaminated with Pesticides (DDT) as determined by residual swipe testing.