<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><xml><records><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Fanny Coppens</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Nicolas Willemarck</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Didier Breyer</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Opinion: Airtightness for Decontamination by Fumigation of High-Containment Laboratories</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Applied Biosafety</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">airtightness</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Decontamination</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">fumigation</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">high-containment</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Hydrogen Peroxide</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2019</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2019-08-27</style></date></pub-dates></dates><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">&lt;p&gt;Introduction:&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;While the European legislation states that laboratories of high-containment must be sealable for fumigation, they do not prescribe a minimal value for airtightness. Starting from a previous study in which we measured the airtightness in 4 BSL-3 laboratories with blower-door tests, we discuss the connection between airtightness and a successful decontamination by fumigation.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Methods:&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Biological indicators (BIs) consisting of spores of Geobacillus stearothermophilus on metal disks were laid out in laboratories of different levels of airtightness before performing a fumigation with aerosolized hydrogen peroxide using an automated device, according to the manufacturer’s instructions.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Results:&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Incubation of all BI disks placed in the facility with the highest level of airtightness showed complete inactivation of spores. However, in the facility with a lower level of airtightness, not all spores were inactivated.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Discussion:&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Air leaks might be a factor in the outcome of the decontamination of a room by fumigation, as seen in the laboratory with a lower level of airtightness, but other factors associated with the fumigation process might also be critical for a successful decontamination.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Conclusion:&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;We argue that a validation of the decontamination procedure, before first use or after important renovations of a laboratory of high-containment, is a more effective endpoint than reaching a predefined level of airtightness.&lt;/p&gt;
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