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American Morning

Russians Looking into New Ways to Fight Anthrax

Aired August 28, 2002 - 07:34   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Tennessee authorities testing a white powder sent to the national headquarters of Al Gore. The possibility, they say, still remains that it could be anthrax. Officials say it could be a hoax, though, too, but they are taking no chances in their testing.
Meanwhile, there is another lab halfway around the world where Russian scientists are testing new ways of fighting the deadly spores. And the answer, they say in Moscow, is as close as your kitchen faucet.

The story now from our bureau chief, Jill Dougherty, tracking this from the Russian capital -- Jill, hello.

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Bill.

Well, two of the biggest problems, of course, with anthrax are how to kill the spores and how to decontaminate the buildings in which they might be found. And Russian scientists say that they have invented a way to do both. They say that it is non-toxic and it kills on contact.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): Biological warfare -- the Russian's Army special troops on maneuvers, preparing for attack from an enemy using weapons of mass destruction, including anthrax, the bacteria mailed in letters to various locations in the United States that killed five people.

Now, scientists in Russia are testing new ways of destroying anthrax spores. And the solution, they say, is water. Here in his laboratory in Moscow, Professor Vitold Bakhir shows us electrodes that he says can turn regular tap water into a potent anthrax killer.

VITOLD BAKHIR, RUSSIAN SCIENTIST: The basic principal is to stream water through a miniature electrochemical reactor. Then it's subjected to a very high level of electricity.

DOUGHERTY: By adding a minute amount of salt to water then running the liquid through the device, the solution becomes highly active, so active the hydrogen and oxygen actually crackle.

(on camera): The scientists here also have made an aerosol from that solution. You hold your hands in the steam for literally five to 10 seconds, and they're completely disinfected. (voice-over): In contrast to decontaminants currently used to kill anthrax, scientists say it is not toxic or irritating. This is just one of many inventions coming from the 50-year-old Russian Research Institute for Medical Engineering. A portable device for making the mixture, which can also be used of decontaminate chemical agents, is now being tested by Battelle Memorial Institute in the United States for possible use by the U.S. military. But scientists here in Russia who are great at inventing aren't necessarily good businessmen. Much of what they produce, from surgical instruments to water purifiers, is still made by hand. The Institute's director says he's trying to adapt the legacy of Soviet era science to the modern world.

BORIS LEONOV, RUSSIAN SCIENTIST: This transformation we've been going through for the past 10 years is making us think seriously about not only how to create technology, but to sell it, and we still haven't learned that lesson.

DOUGHERTY: In a world of biological and chemical threats, he says, Russian scientists can make a major contribution and maybe a ruble or two.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DOUGHERTY: So the question now, Bill, is that testing that's going on, how it will turn out, of course, whether the military, U.S. military might be interested in its product.

HEMMER: I guess ultimately, too, Jill, the question remains how effective has it proven in testing so far? Does it work, essentially?

DOUGHERTY: Right. Well, actually the company tells us, or the Institute tells us that these types of machines that create this substance are actually in use and have been for quite a while in like hospitals and places where they need to sanitize and sterilize. And they also point out that, for instance, instead of using liquid on the walls to decontaminate, this would be non-toxic. So you wouldn't have to clean up after the clean up. You could go in and work in an office building literally right after it is decontaminated.

HEMMER: That would be a measurable improvement based on what we have seen in this country in the past year.

Thank you, Jill.

Jill Dougherty, our Moscow bureau chief, in the Russian capital.

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