EPA Approves Protocols for Antimicrobial Fogging and Misting Application Claims
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved protocols developed by ATS Labs that would allow antimicrobial product developers to register disinfection and sanitizer products intended for fogging or misting applications. The protocol will confirm a product's antimicrobial efficacy against public health organisms when tested in the dedicated fogging and misting testing room at ATS Labs' Eagan, Minn. facility.
In the past, the EPA did not require disinfectant product registrants to submit data when fogging or misting product claims were initially registered, as the claims were not considered public health-related claims at that time. The EPA Pesticide Program now requires these manufacturers to substantiate the claims by submitting GLP-compliant data to demonstrate efficacy when the product is applied using a fogging or misting device. The official letter, dated April 1, 2013, is available on the EPA's website at: http://www.epa.gov/oppad001/fogger-mister-final-signed-letter.pdf.
ATS Labs worked closely with EPA officials through a Pesticide Registration Improvement Act (PRIA) submission review in developing these protocols that have now been approved by the EPA. Having the protocols formally approved provides manufacturers with a faster and more economical solution to satisfying the new regulatory requirements. These EPA-approved protocols can be used to support the use of any type of fogging and misting device that registrants would like to include on their product label. ATS Labs has extensive experience working with antimicrobial pesticide fogging or misting products and has developed protocols for supporting efficacy label claims for bacterial disinfection, virucidal efficacy, efficacy against Clostridium difficile spores, tuberculocidal efficacy, non-food contact sanitization, and food contact sanitization.
In addition, the dedicated fogging and misting testing room at ATS Labs is equipped with independent air handling and temperature control to perform this testing. Additional test rooms are available to meet manufacturers' specific space requirements based on the device used in testing.
Source: ATS Labs
AHE Exchange Summit 2025 Brings EVS and Infection Prevention Experts Together in Columbus, Ohio
June 9th 2025The Association for the Health Care Environment (AHE) is set to host its largest event of the year—Exchange Summit 2025—from June 8 to 11 in Columbus, Ohio. With over 600 environmental services (EVS) professionals expected to attend, this year’s conference focuses heavily on infection prevention, interdepartmental collaboration, and education that empowers frontline health care support leaders to improve patient safety and operational efficiency.
Far UV-C Light Shows Promise for Decontaminating Medical Equipment in Clinical Settings
June 4th 2025Manual cleaning gaps on shared hospital equipment can undermine infection control efforts. New research shows far UV-C light can serve as a safe, automated backup to reduce contamination in real-world clinical settings.
Happy Hand Hygiene Day! Rethinking Glove Use for Safer, Cleaner, and More Ethical Health Care
May 5th 2025Despite their protective role, gloves are often misused in health care settings—undermining hand hygiene, risking patient safety, and worsening environmental impact. Alexandra Peters, PhD, points out that this misuse deserves urgent attention, especially today, World Hand Hygiene Day.
Show, Tell, Teach: Elevating EVS Training Through Cognitive Science and Performance Coaching
April 25th 2025Training EVS workers for hygiene excellence demands more than manuals—it requires active engagement, motor skills coaching, and teach-back techniques to reduce HAIs and improve patient outcomes.
