The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Hydrogen Peroxide Fumigation, Part 1: Introduction to Hydrogen Peroxide Fumigation

Abstract

Introduction: When working with pathogens in laboratories, animal or production facilities, and even hospitals, the potential need for room fumigation for decontamination purposes must be taken into consideration. Questions regarding the choice of fumigant, technical aspects of the room, its ventilation, the fumigation system to be used, and other issues will arise and will have to be addressed. Methods: This article is based on literature searches and was compiled using the authors’ long-time personal experience in room and filter fumigation using various fumigation systems. Results: The article can be used as a guide to establish an effective fumigation system in a laboratory or an animal facility setting and may be adapted for use in hospitals. Different systems for hydrogen peroxide fumigation on the market are presented. Also, technical aspects are discussed. Discussion: Hydrogen peroxide is used in various forms for fumigation of rooms, equipment, and filters. Regardless of the individual limitations of these forms, hydrogen peroxide is a versatile fumigation method. However, it is important to consider numerous technical requirements when planning to implement hydrogen peroxide fumigation at an institution. Conclusions: Subsequent to the present overview of different fumigation systems based on hydrogen peroxide on the market and their technical requirements, part 2 will focus on validation and verification of hydrogen peroxide fumigation while considering the entire fumigation process. The two parts together will serve users as a guide to establishing hydrogen peroxide fumigations at their facilities.

Validation of the Decontamination of a Specialist Transport System for Patients with High Consequence Infectious Diseases

“…H 2 O 2 fumigation offers a highly practical and potentially effective means of decontaminating complex rooms, such as hospital wards or laboratories, as well as items of equipment [3,4], so long as these areas can be safely and effectively sealed off from their surroundings. Consequently, it is a viable option to decontaminate the multiple internal surfaces of EpiShuttle units after they have been used to transfer patients who are potentially suffering from HCID and, therefore, potentially shedding pathogens into their surroundings.…”

“…This paper describes a study that aims to validate the decontamination procedure that is applied to the EpiShuttle after each use. While EpiGuard have a manual decontamination procedure for the EpiShuttle that involves wiping with liquid disinfectant, a less 'hands-on' method would involve using a hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) vapour fumigation system [3,4], which may also ensure enhanced penetration to all of the parts of the equipment. HCID Units routinely use H 2 O 2 vapour fumigation for other decontamination requirements [5], but they require validation for its use with the EpiShuttle.…”

Aerosol Reduction In Dentistry: Minimizing Risk Of Covid 19

“…For aerosol generation, nebulizer or fogging systems are used with one or more nozzles through which a fine mist of aerosol diameter of about 4 mm are generated. Aerosolized hydrogen peroxide can be supplied from outside the room and recirculated with the use of fans or additional ventilation [38].…”

The Hitchhiker's Guide to Hydrogen Peroxide Fumigation, Part 2: Verifying and Validating Hydrogen Peroxide Fumigation Cycles

“…This is the second of a two-part series looking at hydrogen peroxide fumigation from various angles. In the first part, 1 we look at hydrogen peroxide as a fumigant, compare it with other fumigants, and present various systems that deploy hydrogen peroxide for fumigation. Furthermore, we detail some of the technical requirements to be considered when fumigating with hydrogen peroxide.…”