Where do you look for inspiration to develop a “silver bullet” solution for chemical and biological decontamination…one that is fast, environmentally friendly, easily transportable, and performs better than existing decontaminants. What about the laundry industry?

A team at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) developed a decontamination product, called “Dahlgren Decon,” that is highly effective against a wide range of chemical and biological agents, including mustard gas, nerve agents (including VX), anthrax, and Ebola. Concentrated amounts of the decontaminant are packaged in a stable solid form that is activated simply by mixing in water. The solution is then applied by sprayer to the contaminated item.

In 2015, Dahlgren Decon was licensed to a small disadvantaged (8a) business in Virginia called First Line Technology, LLC, for development of a commercial decontamination product. The company’s core business area is the design and manufacture of disaster preparedness and response equipment for Department of Defense (DoD) and first responder emergency response missions. Dahlgren Decon was a perfect fit for its existing product line.

The transfer process began with several Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) between NSWCDD and First Line Technology and a Belgian chemical company called Solvay S.A. Executed in 2011 and 2014, these CRADAs helped to refine the technology’s decontamination capability and facilitate its small form factor. The CRADAs enabled the 2015 license and remained in place to facilitate successful commercialization.

In 2016, First Line Technology commercialized the product and made it available for sale. It is available off-the-shelf to the DoD, first responders, or others requiring the decontamination of biological or chemical contaminants.

Since the First Line Technology product came on the market in 2016, the company has successfully marketed (with significant sales) to entities within the Department of Justice (DOJ), DoD, and several federal intelligence agencies. Numerous state and local agencies have purchased the product, and several international entities are expected to do so soon. The customer base is growing rapidly, and Dahlgren Decon has become the new standard in decontamination.

Contact: Lorraine Harting, (540) 653-2680, [email protected]