Title: Efficacy of Grignard Pure Against a Variety of Bioaerosols

Abstract:

The awareness of airborne transmission of infectious diseases has greatly increased during the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Laboratory studies have shown that the SARS-CoV-2 virus can remain viable for up to 16 hours in respiratory droplets with a diameter of 0.09µm. Grignard Pure® (GP) is a unique and proprietary blend of Triethylene Glycol (TEG) and inert ingredients designed for continuous antimicrobial treatment of air. GP received approval from the US EPA under its Section 18 Public Health Emergency Exemption program for use in seven states . Grignard Pure® has been tested by third party accredited labs for efficacy in the air and on hard surfaces against multiple microorganisms (gram positive bacteria, gram negative bacteria, enveloped viruses, non-enveloped virus, mycobacteria and mold endospores). Experiments measured the decrease in the airborne viable bioaerosol concentration in the presence of specified concentrations of GP from 60 to 90 minutes, accounting for both natural die-off and settling of the bioaerosols.  Experiments were conducted with GP in its undiluted form where it was aerosolized in a control time release method utilizing a nebulization dispersion device. Settling slides were used to assess reduction of viable microorganism deposition onto surfaces. GP is consistently able to rapidly reduce viable bioaerosol concentration by 2-3 logs at GP concentrations of 0.02 mg/m3 to 0.5 mg/m3 (corresponding to TEG concentrations of 0.012 mg/m3 to 0.287 mg/m3) for a variety of microorganisms. In addition to being efficacious, GP is also safe to use. The safety of TEG, the active ingredient of GP has been evaluated by third party independent labs as well as the US EPA and FDA. The likelihood of adverse effects from continuous inhalation exposure to TEG resulting from the use of aerosolized GP is considered low. The assessment also indicated that acute, subacute/sub-chronic and chronic toxicity, genotoxicity and carcinogenicity are not expected. This TEG-based antimicrobial air treatment product tested shows high efficacy against a variety of bioaerosols and has a favorable safety profile. As a result, it can be used to reduce transmission of airborne infectious diseases in indoor public spaces.

Biography:

Grishma Desai is multifaceted Scientist and Quality Manager at Grignard Company LLC with experience in Biological Nutrient Removal (BNR), wastewater mineral removal and US EPA Pesticide Testing and Regulations. She has a Bachelor’s of Science in Biotechnology from Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA. During her eight years at Grignard Company, she has led multiple R&D efforts in new product development as well as regulatory compliance for products.  In the past two years, Ms. Desai’s work has focused on developing, testing and obtaining regulatory approvals for Grignard Pure® – an airborne antimicrobial effective against MS2 Bacteriophage, a surrogate for the SARS-CoV-2 as well as other bioaerosols. Ms. Desai worked closely with Dr Katherine Ratliff and her team at the US EPA Office of Research and Development to evaluate the efficacy of Grignard Pure® in reducing airborne virus concentrations using a large-scale test chamber and a standardized testing approach. Ms. Desai recently submitted a paper titled “The efficiency of Grignard Pure to inactivate airborne SARS-CoV-2 surrogate” to a peer reviewed journal detailing the testing conducted on Grignard Pure at independent testing labs.