The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved a Section 18 Public Health Emergency Exemption for the use of Grignard Pure™, an antimicrobial air treatment solution, for intrastate transit and transportation applications.
Administered through Luminator Technology Group's (Luminator) Renew™ Air Treatment System, the solution provides continuous protection against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
The EPA's Section 18 Emergency Exemption for Grignard Pure, which is effective for Georgia and Tennessee, applies to its use in approved indoor spaces (occupied and unoccupied) when adherence to current public health guidelines is impractical or difficult to maintain. Among the approved use sites are intrastate transportation as well as select approved health care and food processing facilities and indoor spaces within buildings—including government facilities—where people are conducting activity deemed essential by the state and allowed by the state lead agency. The EPA is expected to approve additional exemptions for more states in the coming weeks.
When deployed in mass transit environments, the system will help protect passengers, operators and other transit employees from the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. Grignard Pure is dispensed on-board transit bus and rail vehicles through an adaptive system, manufactured by Luminator, a global leader in transit technology and communication solutions.
Grignard Pure is expected to kill 98 percent of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles in the air, where transmission is most likely. When in use, it delivers continuously effective protection of indoor occupied and unoccupied spaces, including transit buses and railcars.
"As public health officials work to recover national and local economies, public transportation continues to play a vital role," said Etienne Grignard, co-founder and CEO of Grignard Pure. "The EPA approval of Grignard Pure allows entities in these states to deploy science-based technology solutions to enhance safety. Through this partnership with Luminator, it will help protect transit riders and operators."
Luminator's Renew Air Treatment System dispenses the antimicrobial air treatment through a connected, technologically advanced system that measures and automatically adjusts the amount of Grignard Pure that is dispensed. As conditions change with the opening of doors when passengers embark and disembark the vehicle, the system maintains an effective level to kill 98 percent of COVID-19 airborne virus particles.
"With the pandemic causing tremendous disruption to the public transportation industry, we are proud to help support its recovery with a combination of science and innovation," said Kirk Goins, CEO of Luminator Technology Group. "In partnership with Grignard Pure, we are providing riders, transit employees, and operators the assurance they need to return to work and help passengers reach their destinations safely and efficiently. We expect the implementation of the Renew Air Treatment System will make a lasting impact on restoring ridership, safety and confidence."
"Those of us in public and environmental health have learned much about the properties and behaviors of the virus over the past nine months, as we continue to develop and recommend best practices for responding as a society," said Dr. Jack Caravanos, clinical professor of environmental health sciences at New York University's School of Public Health, and a member of the independent and uncompensated Grignard Pure Science Advisory Team. "I've worked closely with the Grignard Pure team since April to assure the effectiveness of the solution. Adding Grignard Pure to a safety protocol, including personal hygiene, masks and social distancing, is a critical step toward helping to restore the social, cultural and business norms we enjoyed pre-pandemic."
