Decontamination foam
Encyclopedia
Decontamination
foam (known commonly as Decon foam) is a spray-on cleaning solution
that, due to its physical properties, has a longer residence time on contaminated surfaces than regular liquids and thus provides efficient decontamination of biological and chemical contaminants (e.g. chemical warfare agents
, anthrax spores
or other toxic industrial materials(TIM)).
It is designed for use in emergency situations involving areas containing large numbers of possibly contaminated people e.g. at convention
s, airport
s, concert
s etc.
an entire planeload of people who might be victims of a nuclear, chemical, or biological agent release.
.
medium for crowd control
, e.g. to make the ground slippery, as well as to reduce visibility
(as a fog
), such as with the CASCAD product.
Decontamination
Decontamination is the process of cleansing the human body to remove contamination by hazardous materials including chemicals, radioactive substances, and infectious material...
foam (known commonly as Decon foam) is a spray-on cleaning solution
Solution
In chemistry, a solution is a homogeneous mixture composed of only one phase. In such a mixture, a solute is dissolved in another substance, known as a solvent. The solvent does the dissolving.- Types of solutions :...
that, due to its physical properties, has a longer residence time on contaminated surfaces than regular liquids and thus provides efficient decontamination of biological and chemical contaminants (e.g. chemical warfare agents
Chemical warfare
Chemical warfare involves using the toxic properties of chemical substances as weapons. This type of warfare is distinct from Nuclear warfare and Biological warfare, which together make up NBC, the military acronym for Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical...
, anthrax spores
Anthrax
Anthrax is an acute disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Most forms of the disease are lethal, and it affects both humans and other animals...
or other toxic industrial materials(TIM)).
It is designed for use in emergency situations involving areas containing large numbers of possibly contaminated people e.g. at convention
Convention (meeting)
A convention, in the sense of a meeting, is a gathering of individuals who meet at an arranged place and time in order to discuss or engage in some common interest. The most common conventions are based upon industry, profession, and fandom...
s, airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
s, concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s etc.
Soap cannons and other foam delivery systems in practice
The LAX airport soap cannon can spray large quantities of decon foam on crowds of potentially exposed persons, e.g. to deconMass decontamination
Mass decontamination is the decontamination of large numbers of people, in the event of industrial, accidental, or intentional contamination by toxic, infective, caustic, polluted, or otherwise unhealthful or damaging substances....
an entire planeload of people who might be victims of a nuclear, chemical, or biological agent release.
Mixing and using decon foam
Decon foam often comes in two bottles, that, when mixed, expand to produce many times their volume in foamFoam
-Definition:A foam is a substance that is formed by trapping gas in a liquid or solid in a divided form, i.e. by forming gas regions inside liquid regions, leading to different kinds of dispersed media...
.
Using decon foam for crowd control
Decon foam is also useful as an area denial weaponsArea denial weapons
An area denial weapon is a device used to prevent an adversary from occupying or traversing an area of land. The specific method used does not have to be totally effective in preventing passage as long as it is sufficient to severely restrict, slow down, or endanger the opponent...
medium for crowd control
Crowd control
Crowd control is the controlling of a crowd, to prevent the outbreak of disorder and prevention of possible riot. Examples are at soccer matches, when a sale of goods has attracted an excess of customers, refugee control, or mass decontamination and mass quarantine situations . It calls for gentler...
, e.g. to make the ground slippery, as well as to reduce visibility
Visibility
In meteorology, visibility is a measure of the distance at which an object or light can be clearly discerned. It is reported within surface weather observations and METAR code either in meters or statute miles, depending upon the country. Visibility affects all forms of traffic: roads, sailing...
(as a fog
Fog
Fog is a collection of water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. While fog is a type of stratus cloud, the term "fog" is typically distinguished from the more generic term "cloud" in that fog is low-lying, and the moisture in the fog is often generated...
), such as with the CASCAD product.
Types of decon foam
- SNL100 (Sandia National LaboratoriesSandia National LaboratoriesThe Sandia National Laboratories, managed and operated by the Sandia Corporation , are two major United States Department of Energy research and development national laboratories....
) - MDF200 (Modec Decon Foam)http://www.deconsolutions.com/pdf_Files/DF-200%20Performance%20Data%20-Live%20Agent.pdf