Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

nafex - [nafex] FW: [GWL]: Post Office drops irradiation

nafex@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Lon J. Rombough" <lonrom@hevanet.com>
  • To: NAFEX List <nafex@yahoogroups.com>
  • Subject: [nafex] FW: [GWL]: Post Office drops irradiation
  • Date: Sun, 10 Mar 2002 08:58:43 -0800

Here are excerpts from aWashington Post story dated March 9.
The Post Office is moving to a "non-invasive" method to check
for biohazards, eliminating potential use of radiation.

USPS Sees New Way to Spot Biohazards
Device in Mail Sorters Could Detect Anthrax Without a Lab

By Ellen Nakashima
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, March 9, 2002; Page A13

The U.S. Postal Service plans to use a highly sophisticated technology
--
polymerase chain reaction (PCR) -- to detect anthrax spores and other
biohazards in the mail virtually as it is being sorted, postal officials
announced yesterday.

The PCR technology is still being tested for adaptation to high-speed
postal
sorters, but by the end of September, USPS plans to sign a $200 million
contract to install the PCR systems at 292 facilities around the
country,
Chief Engineer Tom Day said.

The discovery that PCR, sometimes called "molecular photocopying," can
be
used in automated fashion to help detect biohazards without waiting 24
hours
for a lab analysis has enabled the Postal Service to cut its projected
costs
to fight bioterror attacks. Last November, Postmaster General John E.
Potter
asked Congress for $5 billion, about half of which was to be spent on
irradiation technology to kill bacteria such as anthrax spores in the
mail.

The Postal Service plans to spend $245 million to retrofit its
high-speed
sorters, adding a system that will vacuum up air near the mail and feed
it
through a filter to capture any harmful bacteria, Day said.

The agency is working with two firms that have developed PCR prototypes
for
post offices. They operate slightly differently, but both capture air
samples sucked from mail and test the samples for biohazards. Bacteria
such
as anthrax spores have specific DNA signatures. PCR is a general term
for a
process that uses specific enzymes to amplify tiny quantities of DNA and
make a DNA match.

The air samples would be taken in half-hour intervals and tested. If a
biohazard is detected, the facility would be shut down, employees
medicated
and the facility cleaned.

The systems will be able to detect eight biohazards, including anthrax
spores. Day said the Pentagon will not allow the others to be named.


larry

============================================================
Crack of the Bat, Click of the Mouse. Taking someone
out to the ball game is great, but when you can't make
it to the park, Baseball Weekly is the next best thing to
being there! Sign up here!
http://click.topica.com/caaacQ2bUrGSSbVaxHQf/TopOffers
============================================================

GWL has searchable archives at:
http://www.hort.net/lists/gardenwriters/
If you have photos for GWL, send them to gwlphotos@hort.net and they will
show up at http://www.hort.net/lists/gwlphotos/
**************************************************

==^================================================================
This email was sent to: lonrom@hevanet.com

EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?bUrGSS.bVaxHQ
Or send an email to: Gardenwriters-unsubscribe@topica.com

T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail!
http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register
==^================================================================



------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
Buy Stock for $4.
No Minimums.
FREE Money 2002.
http://us.click.yahoo.com/BgmYkB/VovDAA/ySSFAA/VAOolB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->





------------------LIST GUIDELINES----------------------

1) Please sign your posting. Include climate and location information if
relevent.
2) Attached files will be stripped from your messages. Post attachments on
the www.YahooGroups.com website.
3) To unsubscribe send a BLANK message to
nafex-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
4) Include only pertinent comments/questions when replying to a posting and
NOT the entire message (especially if the initial posting was large).

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/





  • [nafex] FW: [GWL]: Post Office drops irradiation, Lon J. Rombough, 03/10/2002

Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page