DustBoss foresees demand for disinfecting mist products

Peoria, Illinois-based BossTek says its DustBoss line of industrial misting cannons can be used “for the safe and consistent distribution of surface disinfectant cleaners (SDCs) over worksites, busy foot traffic areas and communal spaces.” The company says the technique can help suppress microbes such as the COVID-19 coronavirus.

“The challenge is protecting workers and the public in outdoor spaces by the most effective means possible, using technology that requires the least amount of human contact,” says Mike Lewis, vice president of sales at BossTek. “Sending crews of people out on a regular basis to clean publicly-accessed surfaces is inefficient, costly and exposes the workers to potential contamination. Studies have shown that the distribution of SDCs evenly across surfaces can effectively reduce the presence of viral and bacterial microbes to mitigate the spread of disease. Atomized mist has proven to be a very effective distribution method.”

In addition to public spaces, Lewis says the company has supplied equipment for large operations such as mines and material processing facilities that are sanitizing work surfaces before employees return to work. “We’re even seeing some customers who aren’t back up and running yet, but they’re re-purposing their machines to help out other businesses or municipalities, loaning out the equipment to help protect others,” he adds. DustBoss models for these applications are available for sale or rent, says Lewis.

A study testing the effects of SDCs on infectious viruses (such as Ebola) conducted by the School of Engineering at Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, found “the use of just 0.5 percent chlorine solutions with a 15-minute exposure time is effective in reducing transmission risk.”

Atomized mist technology disperses millions of tiny treated water droplets over a wide area to achieve effective coverage, according to BossTek The barrel-shaped DustBoss cannons force water through a circular brass manifold fitted with atomizing spray nozzles that fracture the water into tiny droplets 15 to 200 microns in size. The mid-sized model has a reach of up to 200 feet (60 meters). With applicable oscillation settings, the largest model in the fleet can cover up to 280,000 square feet (31,000 square meters) – nearly six football fields, says BossTek.

Companies specializing in outdoor disinfecting services are being contracted by municipalities and private industries, and have already begun successfully implementing the DustBoss technology in North and South America, says the firm. Construction sites are among the places where SDCs are being dispersed.

“People want to work and play in the safest environment possible, and this technology can help,” says Lewis. “Having a mechanism for large area disinfection in place to quickly stem the tide of infection from surface-borne microbes is a smart move for both public and private entities.”