International law prohibits the Sandia researchers from possessing real chemical or biological agents, but they have taken samples of the foam to the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago where the foam was tested against actual VX, mustard gas, and soman. In those tests the foam neutralized half the remaining chemical agent molecules every 2 to 10 minutes, depending on the agent. For most chemical agents the contamination remaining after one hour of exposure to the foam is insignificant. The foam neutralizes viral particles in minutes, as well. More tests planned for April will pit the foam against real anthrax and other bacterial spores.
Spores are the most difficult.
The researchers suspect the surfactants poke holes in the spore's protein armor, allowing the oxidizing agents to attack the genetic material inside. Sandia has filed for a patent on the substance, tentatively called Decon Foam 100. The foam could be sprayed from handheld canisters or from trucks, or it could be incorporated into the fire sprinkler systems of high-profile government or military buildings. Download 300dpi JPEG image, 'FoamSpray.jpg', 1.9M Effective, benign, and inexpensive Currently available sprays, fogs, or other decontaminating products typically are based on bleach, chlorinated solvents, or other hazardous or corrosive materials, Tadros says. And many new and emerging decontaminants are designed to work against only a limited number of either chemical or biological agents.