Handle With Care

By LEON JAROFF

The U.S. Postal Service finally took some concrete action last week, ordering a lot of gloves and masks and a few irradiation systems for key mail-sorting facilities in Washington, New York and New Jersey. But as anthrax mail continues to pile up, so too do questions about how to protect ourselves against it. Here are some answers:

--Does zapping letters and packages with radiation really kill anthrax spores?

It depends on how the radiation is delivered. Manufacturers of food and medical irradiation equipment say tests have shown that either of two technologies--ion-beam or gamma-ray--can render the spores inoperative by crippling their DNA.

--Why has the USPS decided to go with ion-beam irradiators?

According to their promoters, ion-beam (also known as electron-beam) devices are fairly safe and relatively fast, killing anthrax spores in a matter of minutes. Independent experts question whether they can do the job that quickly. The gamma rays in the competing systems penetrate more deeply into packages and piles of envelopes, but they can take hours to destroy any spores that may be in them. Also, each gamma-ray machine uses a small quantity of radioactive cobalt 60 as its energy source, posing safety and disposal risks that could make an already nervous public even more so.

--Is there a downside to irradiation?

Well, for one thing the USPS handles 210 billion units of mail each year in 300 plants. Irradiating all that mail--which is what the Postmaster General says he eventually wants to do--would be a logistical nightmare and would surely cost many times the $200 million that has been allocated so far. Also, the ionizing effects that kill the spores can destroy computer disks, ruin credit cards, film and medical samples, and change the taste of some foods.

--Will surgical masks protect postal workers from inhaling anthrax spores?

Not all masks. Only those that meet filter efficiencies recommended for anthrax by the Centers for Disease Control. The Postal Service has purchased and is distributing to its employees 4 million masks that it claims will filter 95% of all microbes in the air, including anthrax spores. Their use is voluntary, and they must fit snugly against the skin (no beards or stray locks of hair). Perhaps even more effective, but probably too expensive for the Postal Service, is a hood and battery-powered filter combination originally designed for medical personnel working with drug-resistant-tuberculosis patients.

--Do the gloves being distributed to postal workers offer any protection against cutaneous anthrax infection?

Yes. Vinyl and high grade-plastic gloves, which the USPS encourages but does not require, effectively prevent the spores from invading sores, cuts or tiny abrasions on workers' hands. But postal workers complain that they can't wear them all the time--the gloves make their hands too hot.

--Should companies stop delivering U.S. mail to their employees?

Some private companies that think they may be targets--especially those in the media--have already done so. Others have hired security companies to screen the mail. Some companies are looking into having their mail irradiated. If you suspect your company is at risk, check with local law-enforcement officials before acting.

--Is there any way to spot anthrax-contaminated letters before they get into the system?

Perhaps. Some military units are equipped with devices the size of large TV sets that can identify airborne anthrax in wartime situations. They would have to be made a lot smaller, cheaper and more sensitive to be suitable for postal work.

Kits to test for anthrax at home are now being marketed aggressively to consumers, but experts say home testing of any kind is a bad idea. The strips and swabs used by biohazard personnel to find anthrax in the field are not made for home use. They are designed for trained technicians equipped to handled toxic material.

--What if an anthrax letter does arrive at my home?

With 680 million pieces of mail delivered across the country every day, the mathematical odds of that happening are pretty small. But as a general rule, the CDC recommends that all mail recipients be wary of envelopes that have return addresses they don't recognize, bear excessive postage or arrive wrinkled or stained.

If you are suspicious of an envelope or package, the CDC recommends that you put it down immediately, cover it, walk out of the room, shut the door, wash your hands with soap and water and call the police.

--Couldn't I just sanitize all my mail at home?

Most experts advise against it. Besides, there's no practical way to do it. Tossing your mail into a pressure cooker set at 15 lbs. for 15 min. would do the trick. Anthrax dies in wet heat above 250[degrees]F. But you would end up with pretty soggy letters. Speaking of soggy, boiling your letters won't work because the water reaches only 212[degrees]F. Ironing with steam heat may kill off the spores if you can get the iron hot enough, but then you risk setting your mail on fire. As for microwaving, you would need to somehow reach very high temperatures for long periods of time. It might work, but the experts don't recommend it.

--By Leon Jaroff. Reported by Janice M. Horowitz

With reporting by Janice M. Horowitz