Coronavirus Technology Solutions
June 8, 2020
Should We Invest in HEPA Filters and Efficient
Masks for the Public?
Mettler Toledo Thornton, Online Measurement of
Bioburden in Purified Water
More Study Needed About Virus Transmission
Through Water
Nevada Using Virus Monitoring in Sewage to
Evaluate COVID Spread
Syracuse University will Test Sewage from Each
Residence for COVID
Oerlikon Nonwoven Ramps up its Production of the
Meltblown Systems
PolyMirae is Leading Resin Supplier for Masks
TSL will Supply 1 million Face Masks per year in
UK
WHO Finally Endorses Masks for Public
Residential Buildings Moving Forward with HEPA
Filters and Other COVID Mitigation Technologies
Contacts with Hospital Personnel Supplied in
Excel Chart
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Should We Invest in HEPA Filters and Efficient
Masks for the Public?
The Coronavirus Technology Solutions
proposed for the U.S. will cost tens of
billion dollars per year. If 200 million people
wear N95 quality masks this cost alone could be
$20 billion per year. HEPA filtration and
laminar air flow, decontamination of spaces and
other technology could raise annual costs to
$100 billion per year. If these measures save
30,000 lives per year the investment would be
justified. EPA uses $10 million per life in
determining the value of regulations. So on this
basis the cost saved would be $300 billion per
year.
In an earlier webinar McIlvaine analyzed the
cost of COVID to include not only the deaths but
the hospitalizations and impact on the economy
and arrived at $50 million per death. So with
this cost an investment of $1.5 trillion per
year could be justified.
It is desirable to see how much is spent to
reduce other risks.
The population motor-vehicle death rate reached
its peak in 1937 with 30.8 deaths per 100,000
population. The current rate is 12.0 per
100,000, representing a 61% improvement. With
150,000 deaths from COVID in 2020 the U.S. would
reach 50 deaths per thousand.
If we revert to the safety standards of
the 1930s there would be at least 120,000 deaths
in the U.S. We
appear willing to deal with an extra
10,000 deaths per year for the time saved to
travel at 65 mph.
There is no assurance that a vaccine will be in
place and be effective in the next two years.
There are predictions without vaccines as much
as 60 percent of the population will contract
the disease. By year end there are likely to be
3 million cases registered in the U.S. but
possibly there are ten times that number who are
unreported. This means that only a maximum of
ten percent of the population will be have been
exposed to the disease at the end of 2020. There
could be six more years with 150,000 deaths per
year before herd immunity is achieved.
Public water in the U.S is quite reliable.
However the experience in Flint Michigan shows
what happens if we lower the standards.
Billions of dollars is spent for bottled
water but there is little evidence that lives
are saved.
Air pollution deaths
in the U.S due to air pollution are
pegged at over 100,000 per year. However, these
are mainly older people. Therefore the life
years per death lost is less than from COVID or
from automobile accidents. Nevertheless the
numbers are significant. They are much more
significant in many Asian countries where air
pollution levels are many times greater than in
the average U.S. city.
An advantage of N95 masks for everyone would be
a reduction in air pollution deaths as well as
from COVID. There are close to 100,000 hospital
acquired infection deaths per year in the U.S.
It is likely that several thousand lives
per year could be saved if visitors and
personnel wear N95 masks.
Mettler Toledo Thornton, Online Measurement of
Bioburden in Purified Water
Mettler Toledo Thornton, a supplier of online
analytical instruments for monitoring purified
water, has added the 7000RMS analyser
to its portfolio.
The instrument offers real time, continuous
measurement of bioburden in the pharmaceutical
industry.
Is there some potential use of this device to
detect the coronavirus in water? Could it be
used as a surrogate in tandem with laboratory
culture measurement?
On-line monitoring of conductivity and total
organic carbon (TOC) for water used in
pharmaceutical applications have been possible
since 1996.
However, determining microbial contamination has
almost entirely relied on laboratory measurement
of cultures. The time taken to grow cultures,
and the multiple testing of points-of-use,
results in delays in identifying microbial
excursions.
The 7000RMS provides continuous analysis of
microbial and inert particle contamination
wherever required in a water system or at
point-of-use. The compact unit not only provides
real time assessment of water loop bioburden
levels, but also lowers labor costs through
reduced sampling and testing, cuts energy use
through better management of sanitization
cycles, and leads to increased process
understanding and product safety.
Unlike other modern techniques for measuring
microbes in water, the laser-induced
fluorescence (LIF) technology employed in the
7000RMS does not require time-consuming staining
or use of reagents. The implementation of LIF in
the analyser, in conjunction with Mie scattering
detection and advanced software algorithms,
allows the simultaneous measurement of particle
numbers and determination of whether particles
are microbes or inert material.
The analyser is suitable for online and at-line
use, and for lab measurements of grab samples.
It features a touchscreen user interface with
multiple data communication options.
More Study Needed About Virus Transmission
Through Water
Two researchers, Haizhou Liu, an associate
professor of chemical and environmental
engineering at the University of California,
Riverside; and Professor Vincenzo Naddeo,
director of the Sanitary Environmental
Engineering Division at the University of
Salerno, have called for more testing to
determine whether water treatment methods are
effective in killing SARS-CoV-19 and
coronaviruses in general.
The virus can be transported in microscopic
water droplets, or aerosols, which enter the air
through evaporation or spray, the researchers
wrote in an editorial for Environmental
Science: Water Research & Technology, a
leading environmental journal of the Royal
Society of Chemistry in the United Kingdom.
"The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic highlights the
urgent need for a careful evaluation of the fate
and control of this contagious virus in the
environment," Liu said. "Environmental engineers
like us are well positioned to apply our
expertise to address these needs with
international collaborations to protect public
health."
During a 2003 SARS outbreak in Hong Kong, a
sewage leak caused a cluster of cases through
aerosolization. Though no known cases of
COVID-19 have been caused by sewage leaks, the
novel coronavirus is closely related to the one
that causes SARS, and infection via this route
could be possible.
The novel coronavirus could also colonize
biofilms that line drinking water systems,
making showerheads a possible source of
aerosolized transmission. This transmission
pathway is thought to be a major source of
exposure to the bacteria that causes
Legionnaire's disease, for example.
Fortunately, most water treatment routines are
thought to kill or remove coronaviruses
effectively in both drinking and wastewater.
Oxidation with hypochlorous acid or peracetic
acid, and inactivation by ultraviolet
irradiation, as well as chlorine, are thought to
kill coronaviruses. In wastewater treatment
plants that use membrane bioreactors, the
synergistic effects of beneficial microorganisms
and the physical separation of suspended solids
filter out viruses concentrated in the sewage
sludge.
Liu and Naddeo caution, however, that most of
these methods have not been studied for
effectiveness specifically on SARS-CoV-19 and
other coronaviruses, and they have called for
additional research.
Nevada Using Virus Monitoring in Sewage to
Evaluate COVID Spread
Water quality researchers with the Southern
Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) are pursuing a
novel method to detect and monitor for the
presence of the novel coronavirus in sewage
wastewater. The high-tech detective work uses
the emerging science of wastewater epidemiology
to find and measure the genetic markers of the
coronavirus in untreated sewage and better
understand the prevalence of the virus within
the local community.
“Our water quality testing confirms the COVID-19
virus is not in our drinking
water, nor is it found in our community’s
treated wastewater,” said SNWA Water Quality
Research and Development Manager Dave Rexing. He
added that the virus also has not been found in
the Las Vegas Wash, which channels more than 180
million gallons of highly treated wastewater
effluent to Lake Mead each day, extending
Southern Nevada’s water supplies in a safe and
sustainable manner.
“We can detect the genetic signature of the
coronavirus in raw sewage before it’s treated.
While the virus is likely not active or even
structurally intact at this stage, we can still
detect its presence—similar to detecting its
fingerprint,” said Principal Research Laboratory
Scientist Dan Gerrity. The COVID-19 virus is
primarily respiratory in nature, though studies
have confirmed the presence of its genetic
material in the feces of infected individuals.
While the coronavirus is not present in Southern
Nevada’s drinking water, SNWA researchers are
measuring the presence of the virus in untreated
sewage wastewater and collecting data along with
other researchers across the country. The
scientists are collaborating and sharing data to
better understand how the coronavirus may
influence water and wastewater industries.
Initial research shows that the COVID-19 signal
disappears early during wastewater treatment and
that water treatment processes should be
effective in destroying the virus, but
scientists want to determine whether or not
there are risks from the untreated wastewater
supply – particularly from aerosolization in
sewers and during the primary or secondary
wastewater treatment processes.
We also believe the information we’re collecting
about the virus will be a critical piece of the
puzzle in determining its overall prevalence
within a community, particularly as clinical
testing remains limited,” Gerrity said.
Due to the lack of wide-scale testing throughout
communities, determining the prevalence of the
novel coronavirus among the population is
difficult. By combining the data SNWA is
collecting with the coronavirus clinical data,
the community may have a better understanding of
the presence of the virus in Southern Nevada.
Gerrity and Rexing note that as the virus
dissipates in the community, the markers for it
will disappear from the weekly samples of
untreated wastewater. With SNWA’s robust water
quality monitoring and testing activities, the
agency will be able to quickly detect the
presence of the virus if it spikes or returns.
“This research may be able to serve as an early
warning system,” Gerrity said. “Should the virus
spike or return, we will be able to detect the
virus in its early stages. This could give
officials advanced notice—perhaps before
confirmation of new clinical cases.”
SNWA researchers are working with the Water
Research Foundation and other scientists from
across the United States to determine the level
of disease in multiple communities through the
study of wastewater – known as “environmental
surveillance” or “wastewater epidemiology.”
Scientists in the Netherlands pioneered much of
the initial wastewater epidemiology research.
They were able to detect the coronavirus in
sewage samples in some areas of the country even
before anyone was officially diagnosed in that
community.
“This is emerging research, but it demonstrates
the commitment wastewater and water agencies
have to applying science to help protect public
health,” Gerrity said.
“With our advanced water quality research and
development laboratories and our expert staff,
we are in a unique position to help water,
wastewater and scientific communities better
understand the implications of this virus on
water supplies,” Rexing said, again emphasizing
that Southern Nevada’s drinking water continues
to meet and surpass state and federal drinking
water standards. “Our water treatment processes
are effective at removing contaminants and
microorganisms such as viruses
Syracuse University
will Test Sewage from Each Residence for COVID
As part of its reopening strategy, the
university plans to routinely test sewage
leaving each residence hall to spot signs of the
virus before students even become sick. If the
testing finds a sudden spike of virus in a
dorm’s sewage, SU can start testing students in
that building to get a jump on a potential
outbreak.
“It will be an early warning system,” said SU
public health professor David Larsen, who is
leading the project. “We could see changes in
the signal in the wastewater a week before we
see a signal in the health care system.”
A person can be infected and start shedding the
virus through their intestines up to a week
before showing symptoms, Larsen said.
The wastewater tracking could help find people
with very mild symptoms who would never get
tested, and people who never develop symptoms,
called asymptomatic cases. International studies
and testing in Onondaga County show up to half
of people infected with the virus
are asymptomatic
and can pass the virus to others without knowing
it.
The team is still running studies to see how sensitive the wastewater testing will be, but researchers hope they’ll be able to detect if even just one person in the dorm has the virus.
Could Viruses in the Surf be Aerosolized and
Cause Problems?
There’s no concrete evidence that there’s a
greater risk of catching the coronavirus from
the water, or even that the virus can survive in
salt water very long, but scientists are
studying it. Some of them have suspicions about
its behavior based on past virus outbreaks.
Oerlikon Nonwoven
Ramps up its Production of the Meltblown Systems We have been writing about the Innovatec expansion of two new melt blown lines. One line comes from Oerlikon Nonwoven in Neumünster. "We are very proud to have been involved in this project from the very beginning and to be able to actively support such an important nonwoven producer as Innovatec with our meltblown technology", explained Rainer Straub, Head of Oerlikon Nonwoven. Oerlikon Nonwoven is significantly ramping up its production of the machines and systems for its meltblown technology. The demand from Germany, Europe and the whole world resulted in a pleasing increase in order intake in a very short time. "We are already looking ahead to 2021 thanks to an attractive order pipeline. Our order intake is now in the upper double-digit million Euro range. We have adjusted our delivery times to the extent possible. This is what has enabled us to deliver the first meltblown line here at Innovatec. Further deliveries and installations are scheduled globally", added Rainer Straub.
According to Oerlikon Nonwoven, its meltblown
technology, which can also be used to produce
nonwovens for protective masks, is recognized in
the market as the technically most efficient
method of producing high-separation filter media
from plastic fibres. Most of the protective mask
capacities available in Europe to date are
produced on Oerlikon Nonwoven equipment.
In April a leading Asian large-scale
manufacturer of manmade fibers and polymers has
invested in a new Oerlikon Nonwoven meltblown
system. The recently-signed contract comprises a
2-beam system for manufacturing filtration
nonwovens – predominantly for medical products
such as face masks – with a nominal capacity of
up to 1,200 tons of nonwovens a year. The
commercial production launch has been scheduled
for the fourth quarter of 2020.
The 2-beam system has an operating width of 1.6
meters and is equipped with the new patented
Oerlikon Nonwoven electro-charging unit. The
Oerlikon Nonwoven meltblown technology is
recognized by the market as being the
technically most efficient method for producing
highly-separating filter media made from manmade
fibers, particularly in conjunction with
electrostatic charging and with extremely low
pressure loss. Electro-charging the filter
nonwovens allows the manufacture of
sophisticated EPA- and HEPA-class filter media
as well as media that comply with the
requirements of N95-, FFP2- and FFP3-class
respiratory masks.
“We are
currently receiving inquiries from all over the
world for our system concepts”, explains Dr Ingo
Mählmann, Vice President Sales & Marketing
Oerlikon Nonwoven. “To improve the supply
situation, we have changed our prioritization in
favor of considerably shorter delivery times for
meltblown systems, so that customers can now be
supplied even faster and also with very short
lead times.” A meltblown system will be
commissioning at the site of a leading Western
European nonwovens producers as early as the
second quarter of 2020. This system will be
deployed exclusively in the manufacture of
nonwovens for respiratory masks.
Mogul is a Key Supplier of Meltblown and SMS
Fabrics Globally
Mogul can supply monolithic meltblown fabrics or
composite fabrics with spunbond on one side (SM)
or both sides (SMS) of the meltblown. The
spunbond layer provides the additional strength
needed for applications such as medical or
critical filtration.
In addition to polypropylene (PP) meltblown
Mogul also produces PBT (polybutylene
terephthalate) and thermoplastic polyurethane
(TPU) meltblown fabrics. PBT is used for
filtration when resistance to chemicals and high
temperatures is required while polyester based
TPU provides good compression set, elasticity
and high resilience for applications requiring
stretching.
Mogul’s heavier weight PBT meltblown fabrics can
be pleated thus creating opportunities in gas
and liquid filtration where high efficiency
filtration is required. Mogul also considers its
PBT product a potential replacement for
micro-glass filtration media.
PolyMirae was founded in 2000 by current
shareholders, Daelim and LyondellBasell, who
jointly began a new company to run the
polypropylene business with a bold and macro
perspective according to
president and CEO
Kim, Bang Hyun.
PolyMirae Meltblown Polypropylene is widely used
for high performance meltblown fabrics,
especially for respirator masks and hygienic
nonwovens.
Claimed Benefits of PolyMirae Meltblown PP are
• Better processing, color, and thermal
stability • Better uniformity and improved
barrier property • Good flowability and
excellent productivity • Uniformed filament
diameter.
TSL will Supply 1 million Face Masks per year in
UK
As of July 2020, TSL,
a manufacturer of healthcare products, will be
leading the charge in bringing the manufacture
of face masks back to the U.K., with a current
capacity of over 100 million p.a. to support
retail, industry, caregivers, essential workers
and the general public.
WHO Finally
Endorses Masks for Public
Long after most nations urged their citizens to
wear masks, and after months of hand-wringing
about the quality of the evidence available, the
World Health Organization on Friday endorsed the
use of face masks by the public to reduce
transmission of the coronavirus.
Since the beginning of the pandemic,
surprisingly, the WHO had refused to endorse
masks. The announcement was long overdue,
critics said, as masks are an easy and
inexpensive preventive measure. WHO does not yet
recommend highly efficient masks for wearer
protection.
The argument is the absence of
direct evidence. This is troubling since
many studies show that virus aerosols penetrate
inefficient masks.
A study funded by the WHO. concluded this week
that respirator masks, like the N95, are better
than surgical masks for
health care workers.
The only difference between healthcare
workers and the general public is that
healthcare workers are exposed to more virus.
So the argument must be that the risk is
too low for the general public.
With 6 million cases of COVID reported
worldwide most people would not deem the risk of
infection so low as to not take whatever
protection measures may be effective.
Residential Buildings Moving Forward with HEPA
Filters and Other COVID Mitigation Technologies
Wellness, a trend that has been influencing
residential design and amenities for a decade or
more, took on new meaning when the coronavirus
pandemic hit. Developers, owners and managers of
condominiums and apartments took some immediate
steps to increase the health and safety of their
residents and are now looking for long-term
solutions to protect people.
“It’s a whole different world now, and we have
to be responsive to what people will want and
what’s required to create the safest possible
building for residents,” said Kenneth Horn
president of Alchemy Properties in New York
City, developer of 378 West End Avenue in
Manhattan, a condominium on the Upper West Side.
and the Woolworth Towers Residences downtown.
At 378 West End Avenue, Alchemy focused
immediately on high-tech solutions for touchless
entrances and cleaner air. “We think the added
cost of changes to our new condo development
will be at least $250,000, but we’re 20 months
out from when it will open, so there may be more
modifications by then,” Mr. Horn said.
Like Alchemy, real estate developers are turning
to technology to create a safer environment for
people in their buildings.
“There is a lot of creative thought among
startups and tech companies going into how to
solve problems such as reducing the need to
touch surfaces in public and to improve air
circulation,” said Christopher Yip a partner and
managing director of RET Ventures, a real estate
technology venture capital firm based in Park
City, UT.
The airborne coronavirus made everyone more
conscious of the importance of fresh air
circulation, an issue many developers were
already addressing.
“There’s been a struggle between buildings
wanting to reach LEED energy-efficiency
standards, which went a little too far in
reducing air circulation, versus wellness
standards that value fresh air,” said Shahab
Karmely CEO of KAR Properties in New York,
developer of the 2000 Ocean condominium in
Hallandale Beach, Florida.
The air conditioning system at 2000 Ocean has
high-density HEPA filters for better air
quality, and wiring is in place in the system’s
ducts to add UV lighting to kill germs.
At Waterline Square, a luxury apartment building
on Manhattan’s West Side, filters preventing air
recirculation and air migration between
residences and common areas were installed. In
addition, small particulate water filtration was
also added “—from the first stage of design, as
these systems are very difficult to add into
buildings later,” said James Linsley president
of GID Development Group, developers of
Waterline Square.
At ELEVATE in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of
Chicago, hospital-grade UV-C/HEPA air filters
have been installed to mitigate airborne germs,
said Dan Slack principal of Baker Development,
which developed the luxury apartment building.
The filters remove germs from the air and the UV
lighting element kills germs that settle on
surfaces.
“Right now, we have small standalone machines
that hang in the elevators or sit in doorways
and larger versions in the common spaces such as
the office and lobby,” Mr. Slack said. “It was a
significant investment, but we plan to continue
to use them even as the threat of the virus
diminishes. We may install them in a slightly
different manner since we were less concerned
with aesthetics at first.”
Contacts with Hospital Personnel Supplied in
Excel Chart
Continually updated excel files of meat
processing and healthcare personnel expressing
interest in Coronavirus Technology Solutions
have been been added to the service previously .
we are now including a third list of
hospital personnel.
This is different from the healthcare
listings which are primarily architects and
consultants.
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