Long-Term Effects on Bus Components As discussed previously, the amounts of disinfectant being used curently have never been applied in the volumes and fre- quency with which they are now. Just as the active ingredients in high concentrations have potential implications on human health, these same concentrations have the potential to be cor- rosive. Again, infrequent use at EPA-approved concentrations does not cause a concern on the surface integrity of seatbelts, seats, or seat fasteners. But the impact on the integrity of these components exposed to the amounts currently being sprayed is an unknown. Editor’s note: Refer to the owners manual of any components
used on school buses to find manufacturer recommendations for cleaning and disinfecting.
Does the Disinfectant Kill Pathogens as Claimed? At the onset of the pandemic, I participated in an indepen-
dent test on several disinfectants that claim to kill bacterial and viral pathogens. Several had active ingredients commonly used in a wide array of commercially available disinfectants and were tested at the “ready to use” concentration supplied by the manufacturer. We conducted our tests at the undiluted con- centration and several serial dilution concentrations in order to test effectiveness if it were accidentally diluted. The testing was conducted with several difficult to kill bacterial pathogens like Salmonella, Staphylococcus (MRSA), and Pseudomonas. We only found two products that performed as well as the label claim, even when diluted, and were surprised with the results obtained with others. One disinfectant failed to kill any of the bacteria even after 24 hours of exposure to the recommended concentration. Based on our observations, it is imperative that school districts
conduct a thorough due diligence on a system or disinfectant before a significant capital outlay. It is important to use resourc- es wisely and even more important to use products that are safe and effective in protecting our children. Editor’s note—Visit
stnonline.com/go/8b to access a Food
and Drug Administration online database that contains “Warn- ing Letters” sent to companies found to have made misleading marketing claims about the effectiveness of their products in killing viruses. ●
Dr. Richard Cooper is the chief science officer for Clean Spray Technologies, which manufactures plant-based disinfectant spray and fogging systems. He received his Ph.D. in medical microbiology from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. Cooper has spent the majority of his career developing methods to prevent diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria.
Spray Pattern Any type of hand-held or backpack
sprayer requires diligent attention during the spray application process. A well-defined spray pattern is essential for covering all areas with an adequate amount of disinfectant. The bus driver or other personnel responsible for disinfecting the bus must stick to this application process and not deviate. It sounds simple, but consider the human element. While following the prescribed spray pattern, the person gets a text or call on their cell phone and stops spray- ing to respond, or a child comes back on the bus to look for a lost backpack and interrupts the process. Any number of distractions could cause the spraying to stop. Each of these scenarios could re- sult in handrails or seats getting skipped, resulting in no disinfection. Then, there is the routine itself. Even if
protocols are in place to prevent disrup- tion, the twice daily (or more) use of a fogging or spraying system will eventu- ally become monotonous and thoughts can drift. Or the person may be run- ning late for another engagement and some areas may not receive a thorough coating of the disinfectant, or could get skipped all together. While better than not disinfecting at all, it doesn’t take a lot of imagination to come up with scenarios where coverage is incomplete, and any area not covered is an area of potential disease transmission.
56 School Transportation News • MARCH 2021
PHOTO COURTESY HIGLEY USD 60 IN ARIZONA.
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