RAHWAY, N.J. (April 29, 2020). — Grignard Company, a manufacturer of atmospheric effect solutions, announces that it is seeking approval from federal and state agencies for its “Grignard Pure” product as an atmospheric viricide. Grignard Pure creates a light atmospheric haze throughout an indoor space that inactivates enveloped viruses such as the novel coronavirus on non-porous hard surfaces and in the air — where it is most dangerous.
Grignard Pure is currently under review for an emergency exemption from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). It is also under review at The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Grignard Company expects favorable rulings from all agencies within the coming days.
The implications of the airborne viricidal properties of Grignard Pure have profound urgency given the recent studies showing that the COVID-19 pathogen may be propelled from an infected individual further than previously thought and stay airborne and virulent for a longer period of time. For example, one sneeze generates up to 40,000 micro-droplets of the COVID-19 pathogen that can travel up to 27 feet – and that’s without the air currents of an HVAC system.
William Jordan, with a 40-year tenure working on pesticide regulation at the EPA and currently an independent environmental consultant working with Grignard: “Grignard Pure addresses the critical challenge of the coronavirus remaining in the air for up to three hours at indoor locations – and is the only product I know of designed to inactivate the airborne coronavirus. It could prove to be a very valuable addition to the effort to combat the COVID-19 pathogen.”
Government officials led at the national level by the Department of Homeland Security and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have created a public health strategy to combat the virus and begin reopening parts of the country. The strategy is part of a larger national plan to get Americans out of their homes and back to work. It gives guidance to state and local governments on how they can execute a phased way to support safe reopening.
The implementation of Grignard Pure as an aerial viricide in office buildings, restaurants, hospitals, supermarkets, houses of worship, indoor entertainment venues and assisted living facilities/nursing homes would reduce risk and complement the mitigation and safety protocols that are essential components of any strategic plan.
Grignard Pure is easily dispersed throughout indoor spaces in one of two ways: via a building’s HVAC system, or using conventional haze/fog machines typically deployed in entertainment venues and in fire training. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health has advised Grignard Pure’s active ingredients at low parts per million levels as safe for human inhalation.
Dr. William Esposito, Dr.PH, CIH, President and Founder Ambient Group, a nationally-recognized environmental sustainability expert based in New York City is working with Grignard to increase awareness on the benefits of inactivating viruses in the air and as we breathe in spaces where social distancing cannot be achieved.
“A growing number of studies indicate that the coronavirus is airborne, so surface treatments only address part of the issue. The active ingredient in Grignard Pure has historically been documented and proven effective as a biocide against airborne microorganisms and enveloped viruses very similar to the coronavirus,” said Dr. Esposito. “Getting Grignard Pure into the market now will help prevent the further spread of COVID-19 and ultimately enable governors to re-open their economies with confidence knowing that they are doing everything they can to attack the virus on both on surfaces and in the air.”
Dr. Esposito’s recent work is focused on evaluating best practices for safely reopening commercial buildings amid the COVID-19 pandemic and establishing the sound science behind real-time viral aerosol inactivation.
