News
Inter-Laboratory Forum Workshop, CSL, York
Polonium 210 - Joint Working with HPA, VLA and Cefas
Meeting the Challenge of Avian Influenza
The InterAct Project
Inter-Laboratory Forum Workshop, HSL, Buxton
Buncefield 2005: HPA - HSL Joint Working
Interlab Forum Workshop, CSL, York
22-23 February 2007
Responding to Contamination Incidents - Sampling Strategies
Does it matter how you take samples for testing after a contamination incident? This was one of the issues discussed at a specialist InterLab Forum workshop entitled “Sampling – the way ahead” held at CSL in February 2007 and organised by the HPA. Key Government scientific agencies have developed a collaborative infrastructure through the InterLab Forum to improve national response to emergencies. All of these agencies respond to a variety of emergencies ranging from disease outbreaks to large-scale fires and unplanned radionuclide releases into the environment. This meeting was developed to consider one key aspect of emergency response – sampling strategies.
Presentations from HPA experts considered sampling issues associated with the Buncefield oil terminal disaster, the aftermath of an accidental anthrax fatality in Scotland and the challenges posed by radionuclide monitoring in a large urban environment. CSL experts also highlighted the importance of statistical considerations in developing sampling plans to detect contamination. To inform the meeting on recovery phase sampling issues, Dstl provided a retrospective overview of anthrax decontamination on Gruinard Island.
Workshop delegates considered malicious and accidental contamination incident sampling using model scenarios ranging from discovery of an illicit laboratory to deposition of chemical, biological and radioactive contaminants over a wide area following a major incident. An important feature of the meeting was the valuable contributions made by representatives of key stakeholders (Police, Fire and Rescue, Government Decontamination Service, Home Office and Defra), who put discussions into a wider policy and operational context using the combined scientific expertise of the Forum.
The meeting provided an opportunity for emergency responders to meet with scientists and technologists, to identify the key issues that can be addressed collectively in future research programmes. Examples of the issues explored at the meeting include the need to establish common and validated approaches for sampling different types of contaminant to managing surge capacity should large scale incidents occur. Sampling is required for a variety of purposes (personnel and public safety, verification of deposition models, recovery strategy development, etc.) and incidents are rarely static events. Priorities will change over the life cycle of an incident and the processes are required to develop appropriate sampling plans that reflect these changes. Improved methods of communicating the results of sampling and testing using agreed terminology was an area where more work was identified. Further feedback is being sought from delegates, and this will be invaluable in establishing priorities for future work in this area.
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Polonium 210 - Joint Working with HPA, VLA and Cefas
Alexander Litvinenko died at University College Hospital, London, on 23rd November 2006 after having been allegedly poisoned with the radionuclide polonium – 210 a few weeks earlier. Contamination was found in a number of restaurants, hotels and other places in London, with a consequent risk of low-level exposures of people working at or visiting these places. Contamination was also found in some planes and other vehicles.
To assess any exposures, urine samples were collected and measurements of polonium – 210 used to estimate radiation doses. The urine samples were analysed at the Health Protection Agency’s (HPA) Radiation Protection Division at Chilton in Oxfordshire.
When it became apparent that the numbers exceeded the HPAs analytical capacity of about 40 samples per day, the HPA contacted other laboratories in the UK which performed low – level polonium – 210 measurements on environmental samples. The Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) and The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) both assisted the HPA in urinanalysis.
Measurements of polonium-210 in 24hour urine samples were used to calculate possible intakes by ingestion or inhalation and the resulting radiation doses. In total 695 samples were tested from individuals considered to be at most risk. The majority of samples (87%) were below the reporting level. Only two per cent had levels of polonium-210 which gave some concern and these people will be followed up.
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Meeting the Challenge of Avian Influenza
The Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) is the UK National Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza (AI). VLA has been at the forefront of international efforts to monitor the disease situation as it has spread from Asia into Europe and parts of Africa. AI is a notifiable disease of poultry, and any suspicion in GB has to be reported to the authorities in Defra.
Following the confirmation by VLA of highly pathogenic AI on a Suffolk turkey farm in February 2007, it was essential for VLA experts to maintain functional and advisory contact with HPA who had to advise on health risks and preventive measures for farm staff and disease control teams involved with bird handling and culling activities. This involved keeping key personnel informed of emerging laboratory results and their implications. Genetic data from the UK virus was rapidly passed to HPA colleagues including analysis for markers of tamiflu resistance (none detected).
The first weekend after the turkey cull (10/11 February) which was still within the potential incubation period for any possible human infection from occupational exposure of State Veterinary Service or farm staff, VLA was able to offer containment level 3 laboratories facilities and trained staff on standby to handle any specimens from suspect human cases, at a time when the HPA laboratories at Colindale were expected to be out of action for maintenance, although in the event this arrangement was not activated.
The Central Science Laboratory (CSL), also offered use of its containment level 3 laboratory facilities, although again this was not required as the amount of testing required was well within the capacity of VLA. CSL’s expertise was also seen in the earlier AI episode in April 2006, when a swan with AI was found at Cellardyke, Fife, Scotland. The swan was badly decomposed and CSL’s skill in bird speciation by DNA typing enabled the confirmation that it was a whooper swan, a migratory species, rather than a mute swan (a largely sedentary species) as at first suspected. This had a significant impact on the epidemiological interpretation and therefore the risk assessment.
CSL also registered its capability for monitoring risk of transmission of AI to wild birds. Had there been any evidence of spread from the turkey farm this could have provided on-site bird monitoring, sampling, and use of CSL's "bird radar" to track movements, and might prove useful in any future outbreaks.
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The InterAct Project
InterAct is a unique partnership involving four of the ILF partners, namely CSL, VLA, Dstl and HPA. The project was established in 2004 using funding from the second round of the DTI/OSI’s Public Sector Research Exploitation (PSRE) scheme, and is widely recognised as being one of the most successful of the PSRE-funded initiatives. The aim of the project is to enhance commercialisation of the partners’ intellectual property (IP). This is achieved in part through the capturing of synergies between the IP and services of the partners, followed by exploitation of the resulting combined IP. Interact has contracted a private sector consultancy firm, IP Pragmatics, to manage the project and provide business advice to the partners.
Through a series of inter-agency workshops covering several disciplines, the project has been successful in identifying over sixty individual IP development projects, the majority of which involve IP from more than one of the partners. Combined IP that has been identified in this way is then being developed with the aim of taking it to market. IP is being developed in part using funding awarded from the InterAct Proof of Concept fund, which was established after a successful bid by the partners to the third round of the PSRE scheme.
Examples of collaborative development projects include:
- joint development by CSL and VLA of pen-side tests for the detection of important animal and avian diseases
- further development of a nucleic acid purification method developed by CSL, for use in the veterinary and human sectors, in conjunction with VLA and HPA
- strengthening of proficiency testing services offered by the partners through the sharing of best practice and the provision of sales and marketing training and literature
- development by CSL and Dstl of a rapid assay for the detection of pesticide exposure
Several commercialisation deals have already been signed as a result of the project, including a number of licensing deals for the commercialisation of diagnostic assays developed by the partners.
Further information on InterAct can be found on the project website at www.interactpartnership.co.uk
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Inter-Laboratory Forum Workshop, HSL Buxton
15 & 16 February 2006
Chemical Pollution - Challenges, Present and Future
Building on the model developed by the DEFRA Agencies, this workshop brought together scientific experts from across the Inter-laboratory Forum to discuss the challenges we all face in dealing with and preventing chemical pollution. Hosted by HSL at Buxton, the workshop provided an opportunity to share information, identify synergies and consider how Forum partners can collaborate more effectively for the benefit of the UK as a whole.
The workshop was a mix of plenary sessions and syndicate groups focusing on specific aspects of chemical pollution identified as of particular interest by the different Agencies. In the first plenary session each Agency briefly set out its capabilities and priorities in relation to chemical pollution in its widest sense. A second plenary session considered the benefits and pitfalls of horizon scanning in identifying not only scientific and technological developments but also social, economic, political and international trends.
The four syndicates looked at:
- Chemicals, pollution, people and behaviour - societal and individual attitudes to risks from chemicals and the behaviours that ensue.
- The roles of different Agencies in responding to chemical incidents - in particular the scope for a collaborative response to an incident and the opportunity to learn from each other’s experience.
- Emerging chemical pollutants - the environmental fate of novel substances, including nanomaterials, pharmaceuticals, flame retardants and persistent organic pollutants, and their impact on humans, animals, and the environment.
- Responding to chemical pollution incidents – technologies for detection, diagnosis and decontamination.
A common theme running through most of the syndicates was the need to set up specialist networks across the Agencies to channel information exchange and promote best practice on particular topics. Individual Agencies were identified to take this forward.
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Buncefield 2005: HPA - HSL Joint Working
On Sunday, 11th December 2005 at 06.00, a series of explosions started what was reputed to have been the largest fire in Europe for the past five decades. The fire continued over four days, causing a black plume of smoke that covered tens of kilometres, visible on satellite images, heading over London and southern England and ultimately towards mainland Europe.
At the request of the HPAs Chemical Hazards and Poisons Division (CHaPD), the HSL, with other agencies, conducted targeted local sampling to determine the impact of the fire upon air quality. Samples were collected and analysed for total particulate, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and asbestos. Sampling was carried out according to published HSE guidance and used active and passive sampling techniques.
The results of this sampling were verbally communicated to CHaPD staff as soon as they were available to assist with the evolving public health risk assessment and the final results were sent to CHaPD within two weeks.
The sampling results indicated that none of the concentrations of pollutants monitored close to the site were above background concentrations, which was extremely valuable in confirming a minimal risk to public health and reassuring the surrounding communities.
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