Fredericton sends 5 'germ-free' buses out on road
Five Fredericton transit buses have been treated with a special coating to make them germ-free and self-cleaning, says a promoter of the nanotechnology.
The buses, including four new ones, have been sprayed with a Japanese product made of water, isopropyl alcohol, which helps in evaporation, and nano-sized titanium dioxide, which kills bacteria.
"This nano particle we're working with is super small," said Drake Corey, one of the people behind the bus project and the co-owner of Atlantic Nanotek.
Corey, whose company distributes a variety of product coatings and cleaning materials, said he received his first sample of the self-cleaner about 18 months ago. Only a few manufacturers in the world are capable of delivering this grade of product, he said.
The coating comes in a spray, which was first tested on public washrooms at the Garrison District in downtown Fredericton a few months ago. Fredericton Transit then gave the coating a try on a bus.
"Because it's less than five nanometres, it can do its function with minimal light, minimal air flow and minimal moisture," Corey said. A nanometre is a billionth of a metre.
"These buses are so clean and beautiful and brand new to the city. They were the perfect [vehicle] to move forward with this type of green initiative."
The germ-free buses will still need to be swept, but the spray can be used on the entire bus, Corey said. As long as surfaces aren't damaged, the spray will keep germs away for at least two years.
"It's safer than paint," he said. "It's safer than most things."
Measure of cleanliness
But the real measure of cleanliness will be taken by a machine that tests the bus surfaces for bacteria counts.
"We do several tests to give … an average number of bacteria activity on that," Corey said.
Levels of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, which are produced by new plastics, also drop with the coating.
The cost of the spray ranges from $2,000 to $3,000 for units the size of public buses.
Darren Charters, manager of Fredericton Transit and Parking Services, described the spray as a win for both bus drivers and passengers.
Charters said the city first heard about the spray last year and did a trial run before four other new buses got the treatment, at a total cost of about $8,000.
"It's all about creating a better working environment for operators and lowering bacteria," he said.
Safety for everyone
Corey said the self-cleaning spray could save a lot of money now spent on chemical reduction and cleanliness.
"It's safety for everyone on the bus and because the air on the bus is becoming clean, then really the City of Fredericton is cleaning pollution."
Corey said he hopes the spray will someday be used in transit buses throughout Fredericton and other cities across the province, as well as in hospitals.
