Electronic Broom Helps Responders Sweep Contaminated Sites

LIVERMORE, California, June 7, 2006 (ENS) - A new software tool that allows for rapid reoccupation of contaminated buildings has been developed and funded by U.S. government agencies and is now available for licensing. The system includes a personal digital assistant (PDA) application that allows users to generate precise maps of contamination and sampling locations.

Called the Building Restoration Operations Optimization Model (BROOM), the software system was originally developed for use during cleanup following a bioterrorism attack, but developers say it will also be useful for environmental cleanup of Superfund sites, airports, subways, ports of entry, government buildings and industrial facilities.

To date, there has been no comprehensive system for handling this process.

Created by Sandia National Laboratories for managing the collection, visualization, and analysis of environmental sampling data, development of the software was funded by the Department of Homeland Security.

"Collecting samples from a contaminated facility is currently a painstaking, time consuming process for hazmat responders," says Jane Ann Lamph, a Sandia engineer and business development associate leading the BROOM commercialization effort.

A hazardous materials technician enters sample information into the BROOM personal digital assistant. (Photo courtesy Sandia)

The three years of research that went into developing BROOM included demonstrations and exercises with San Francisco International Airport among other model facilities.

The centerpiece of BROOM is the handheld device, which looks like a typical PDA but packs a large amount of data and information.

The device uses sophisticated algorithms to generate contamination maps and layouts of the location where the responders are collecting samples and to develop statistically based sampling plans.

A barcode scanner tracks tagged samples and maintains chain-of-custody records.

Electronic forms capture information such as the sample type, surface type and texture, collection method, and other important data that is managed by the BROOM software.

An important accessory to BROOM’s PDA device is a Leica laser range finder. The wireless laser range finder maps out with pinpoint accuracy the location of samples taken by hazmat crews.

During time-sensitive events when sampling data is needed quickly, information can be wirelessly transmitted to a personal computer or central command station outside the contaminated area in a secure manner.

The BROOM system includes a PDA application that allows users to generate precise contamination maps and sample locations. The application runs on the Pocket PC operating system and makes use of a laser range finder. (Photo courtesy Sandia)

The cost to shut down public facilities, plants, or businesses can be enormous, so the savings obtained by using the BROOM could amount to many millions of dollars, Lamph says.

Costs of the 23 day closure of Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC after the 9/11 attacks have been estimated at $330 million per day to the airport and Northern Virginia businesses, and $27 million to state and local tax revenues, Lamph says, citing "Business Week" figures.

Costs to clean up the Hart Senate office building after a letter contaminated with anthrax was discovered were originally estimated at $5 million, but ballooned to $28 million.

The Hart cleanup took three months and involved collecting and processing more than 10,000 air and surface samples.

Lamph says that increasing efficiencyby using electronic data collection, sample management, and streamlined analysis processes could significantly impact the bottom line for cleanup efforts and related economic factors.

BROOM improves the efficiency of cleanup operations, minimizes facility downtime, and provides a transparent basis for reopening. Lamph says transparency is critical in gaining public and regulatory acceptance for declaring a facility to be “clean” and safe to reoccupy.

Sandia envisions that the BROOM might also be used by forensics and crime units, remediation companies, water, gas and electric utilties, and chemical plants.