Decontamination by Physical Means

Contaminants that ean be physieally removed fall into four major eategories. 

Removal is often enhaneed through methods sueh as solidifieation, freezing (i.e., iee or dry iee), adsorption or absorption (i.e., powdered lime or kitty litter), or melting with a low-energy heat souree (i.e., hair dryer or heat lamp). 

Volatile liquid eontaminants ean be removed from PPE or equipment by evaporation followed by a water rinse. Evaporation of volatile liquids ean be enhaneed by using steam jets. With any evaporation or vaporization proeess, eare should be taken to prevent worker inhalation of vaporized ehemieals. And, of eourse, the physieal hazards of steam need to be taken into eonsideration along with proteetion needed to eontrol any splatter of liquid or debris. Regulations pertinent to air emissions must also be taken into eonsideration. 

Cleaning solutions normally use one or more of the following methods  

Solidification Solidifying liquid or gel contaminants can enhance the physical removal. The mechanisms of solidification can be described as follows  

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