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

Could Viruses in the Surf be Aerosolized and Cause Problems?

Oerlikon Nonwoven Ramps up its Production of the Meltblown Systems

Mogul is a Key Supplier of Meltblown and SMS Fabrics Globally

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

___________________________________________________________________________

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.

The graph shows that COVID and air pollution have the biggest potential for death reduction.  COVID represents a risk far greater than the annual flu or even driving at 65 mph. The Coronavirus Technology Solutions will therefore be both important cost effective.

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

When students return to the Syracuse University dorms this fall, they’ll be tested for the novel coronavirus. So will their dorm’s sewage.

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.

“We only see the most severe clinical cases” in hospitals, said Brittany Kmush, an SU public health professor also involved in the study. “If somebody has a mild case, they might not seek treatment.”

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.

Among them is Kim Prather, a leading atmospheric chemist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego. Her research suggests there’s a chance that in areas where ocean water mixes with untreated wastewater contaminated by the virus, the belch of the ocean waves could aerosolize the virus into particles and coastal winds could carry it back to shore.

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.

In order to further optimize the material provision for the Oerlikon Neumag and Oerlikon Nonwoven business units and to strengthen internal processes at the German site in Neumünster, the Manmade Fibers segment of the Swiss Oerlikon Group decided last year to invest in a state-of-the-art logistics center with a new lift center. This is tremendously helpful for speeding up the processing of the numerous orders for meltblown systems for manufacturing high-quality nonwovens for protective masks and apparel that Oerlikon Nonwoven has received over the past months alone.

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. 

Mogul can provide PET/PBT products in SM and SMS versions.

Mogul CEO Serkan Gogus notes: “We are impressed with the results of our initial production and believe we will be bringing even more value addition to PBT fabric applications by way of our product’s unique characteristics.”

PolyMirae is Leading Resin Supplier for Masks

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.  

TSL has invested heavily in state-of-the-art machinery and tooling to deliver various different types of face masks; including surgical grade for institutions such as the NHS, as well as general use / fit for purpose grades which are more suitable for the general public (to be sold in retail outlets). 

These face masks will be produced at its manufacturing site in Wigan in accordance with all National and European (applicable) regulations. TSL is a ISO13485 approved company.  

CEO Chris Patterson says: “This is a great opportunity following Brexit, whilst in the midst of a Global healthcare crisis to support the NHS / key workers and the general public by investing in U.K. manufacturing. Creating local jobs and doing our bit to build a stronger U.K. economy. We are proud to be supporting and protecting all our brilliant care-workers and keyworkers, small business owners and all those front line staff who are currently keeping the U.K. economy going.” 

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.”

https://www.barrons.com/articles/technology-at-the-forefront-for-healthier-high-rise-buildings-01591626244

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.