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Updated: May 30, 2026

The Portable Chemical Sterilizer (PCS), D-FENS, and D-FEND ALL: Novel Chlorine Dioxide Decontamination Technologies for the Military
Published on: June 29, 2014
Decontamination of a hard surface contaminated with Bacillus anthracisΔSterne and B. anthracis Ames spores using
T L Buhr1, A A Young, Z A Minter
1Naval Surface Warfare Center - Dahlgren Division, Dahlgren, VA 22448-5162, USA. DLGR_NSWC_Z20@navy.mil
Aims:
To evaluate the inactivation of Bacillus anthracisΔSterne and Ames spores using electrochemically generated liquid-phase chlorine dioxide (eClO(2)) and compare two sporulation and decontamination methods with regard to cost, safety and technical constraints.
Methods And Results:
Spores were prepared via agar and broth methods and subsequently inoculated and dried onto clean, autoclave-sterilized glass coupons. Bacillus anthracis spore inactivation efficacy was evaluated using the modified three-step method (AOAC 2008.05) and a single-tube extraction method. Spores (7·0 ± 0·5 logs) were inactivated within 1 min at room temperature using freshly prepared eClO(2). Bacillus anthracisΔSterne spores decreased in size after eClO(2) treatment as measured using a Beckman Coulter Multisizer.
Conclusions:
eClO(2) saturation of a hard surface was an effective B. anthracis sporicide. Broth sporulation and the single-tube extraction method required less time and fewer steps, yielded a higher percentage of phase-bright spores and showed higher spore recovery efficiency compared with AOAC 2008.05, making it more amenable to biosafety level 3 (BSL3) testing of virulent spores.
Significance And Impact Of The Study:
Two test methods demonstrated the sporicidal efficacy of eClO(2). A new single-tube extraction test protocol for decontaminants was introduced.
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