More bad advice from Tom Ridge...

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

------ Forwarded Message
From: Paul Saffo <psaffo () iftf org>
Date: Mon, 24 Feb 2003 10:09:50 -0800
To: Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>
Cc: Paul Saffo <psaffo () iftf org>
Subject: More bad advice from Tom Ridge...

Who is going to protect us from Tom Ridge, and his bumblers in the Dept of
Homeland Security...


http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/5249545.htm

Posted on Mon, Feb. 24, 2003

Scientists doubt air filters would help in terror attack
HOMELAND OFFICIALS AGAIN UNDER FIRE FOR ADVICE
By Sumana Chatterjee and Seth Borenstein
Mercury News Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON - First it was duct tape and plastic sheeting. Now, Homeland
Security folks are promoting high-tech air filters to protect against
bioterrorism.

Neither, scientists say, will do the job.

In its most recent advice to the nation, officials at the Department of
Homeland Security have suggested that using high-efficiency particulate air
(HEPA) filters and even painters' air masks can block dangerous
contaminates.

But scientists scoff at the idea that such filters would work.

``I'm certain there's been no good research to indicate'' that HEPA filters
could be effective against biochemical agents, said Greg Evans, an
epidemiologist and director of the Center for the Study of Bioterrorism and
Emerging Infections at the St. Louis University School of Public Health.
``That just makes no sense.''

It is the second time in less than two weeks that Homeland Security
Secretary Tom Ridge and his department have come under fire for providing
questionable information and advice to an already anxious U.S. public. Last
Friday, Ridge had to tell people to calm down and not to use the duct tape
and plastic sheeting that the government only days before had urged people
to stockpile.

Despite the critics of the filtration system, officials defend their
recommendations.

``We worked very hard to make sure this information was vetted by people who
are established experts in these fields,'' said Chad Kolton, spokesman for
the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a division of the Homeland Security
Department. ``We are very confident that the information in there is useful
and helpful.''

But former FEMA director James Lee Witt, whose management of the agency was
lauded by both political parties, disagreed. ``If they are going to
recommend something, they ought to know whether it's something that's
reliable. I don't think they've been very successful,'' he said.

Specifically, the government's Web site (www.ready. gov/clean_air.html)
suggested that an added ``portable air purifier with a HEPA filter'' be used
to ``help remove contaminants from the room where you are sheltering.''

The filter, the advisory says, also can help protect against some biological
agents.

But a review of three scientific studies over the years raises questions
about how well HEPA filters cleanse the air of even the most common
particulates, such as cat dander and other annoying allergens.

One study was done in 1997 by the American Lung Association, and the other
was conducted by the prestigious National Academy of Sciences in 2000.

The third study was a ``real world'' comparison of using a HEPA filter and a
dummy filter in a sealed room full of cat dander.

The HEPA filter cut the allergens in half, but that wasn't enough to improve
the health of allergic people in the room. The filter left too many
contaminants in the air.

Peyton Eggleston, a Johns Hopkins University professor of pediatrics and
environmental health science, who published the study in the American
Journal of Respiratory Critical Care Medicine, said the same would probably
occur with bioterrorism agents.

``It's not an efficient way of completely clearing the air of particles in a
real-world setting,'' Eggleston said. ``In truth, you're not taking it
out.''

Supporters say the filter, mask, duct tape and plastic are all common-sense
measures to get out of harm's way.

``We should not distract from the purpose of this thing. Let's not let that
stop people from preparing,'' said Ralph Gomory, president of the Alfred P.
Sloan Foundation, a non-profit group that donated $5 million to the national
campaign.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2003 Mercury News and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.bayarea.com



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