Title: A Story About Chemicals, Science and Public Health

Abstract:

The treatment and distribution of drinking water for safe use is a landmark achievement of the 20th century. Up through the end of the 19th century, typhoid fever, dysentery, and cholera killed thousands of Americans every year. Beginning in 1908, cities began treating drinking water with chlorine. Drinking water chlorination and filtration have helped to virtually eliminate these diseases in the United States. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regards the disinfection of drinking water as one of the 10 most significant public health advances of the 20^th century. Almost all drinking water systems in the United States that disinfect their water use some type of chlorine-based process, either alone or in combination with other disinfectants. What public health achievements will define the 21^st century? With the arrival of COVID-19 in 2020, a group of scientists and engineers came up with an exciting idea. In researching the safety of triethylene glycol(TEG), one of the primary ingredients in lighting effects products, they discovered that TEG was effective at killing harmful microorganisms. These scientists and engineers came to think that it would be possible to make a product that could be released into the air at levels that would kill the virus that causes COVID-19. Further testing confirmed its effectiveness against a wide array of viruses, bacteria and mold. 1.1 million US deaths later, COVID has delivered a stark reminder of how unhealthy our indoor air really is, with the presence of airborne pathogens so prevalent in our schools, homes, workspaces, and public places. Could a solution powered by TEG prove to be a milestone 21st-century public health achievement in the effort to make our indoor air healthier and safer against future pandemics, hospital-acquired infections, sick building syndrome, and the common cold?

Biography:

Brian T. Regan serves as Chief Strategy Officer for Grignard Pure, LLC, an innovative science and technology company developing next-generation solutions for eliminating airborne pathogens in all indoor environments from healthcare, to food processing, to workplaces, schools, and homes. He is responsible for shaping and executing Grignard Pure’s go-to-market strategy, integrating science, IP, regulatory, product development and partner engagement into successful implementation. Prior to joining Grignard Pure in January 2021, he spent twenty-five years working with organizations from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, helping position them for optimal competitiveness in the markets they serve. Among those companies he counseled include Virgin, EMC, CA Technologies, Intuit, MongoDB, Docusign, and Philips.