The Biohazards of Crime Scenes – Everything You Need to Know

After a violent crime has taken place, there are often bodily fluids that get left behind. The fluids are harmful because if the victim was infected with HIV, hepatitis or C. diff, there is a risk that the exposed fluids could transmit the virus to others. Because these biohazards are so infectious, it is a matter of public safety that they be dealt with by professionals that adhere to Environmental Health and Safety protocols.  

Scrubbing out the stains

Many crime scene cleanup companies will mix commercially available solvents with a chlorine-based agent. The chlorine agent works by breaking down the chemical bonds found in all organic, bodily mater. Blood cells, for example, are proteins that are suspended in water. When the blood cell proteins come into contact with chlorine, they will breakdown into their base molecules (i.e., hydrogen, carbon) and dissolve away. Viruses like HIV or hepatitis are made of proteins and they live within the blood cells. They get dissolved away by chlorine too.   

Dealing with the odors

When flesh and organic fluid decomposes, bacteria and fungi from the natural environment break down the tissues and use them as a food source. This process releases 30 distinct chemical compounds into the air. These compounds have unique odors. Human flesh contains special amino acids that are only found in human cells. These amino acids generate unique chemical compounds (i.e., cadaverine, putrescine) during decomposition. When they are released into the air, their smell is very strong and foul.

Most crime scenes will not have decomposing bodies - usually the body is discovered before decomposition happens. Even though this is the case, dealing with odors is often part of the cleanup. A good crime scene cleanup crew will use ionization or ozone-based methods for breaking down odors in the air. Usually the machines emit ozone, or some other particle with an electric charge. As the charged particles float in the air, they come in contact with the odorous compounds and change their chemical composition in the process. This dissolves them away chemically.

Always call an expert

If something traumatic happens near you, do not put yourself at risk for contracting HIV or hepatitis. Call a professional crew that will use proper PPE and have the right chemicals and machines to dissolve everything away. While they cannot take away the trauma and suffering of the event, they can make sure that the crime does not create multiple victims after it is over.

Remember, crime scene cleanup professionals exist for a reason. They are highly trained in remediating traumatic scenes and understand that what you see may not be everything there is. Instead of trying to handle a massive and disturbing cleanup job on your own, leave it the professionals who will ensure every spec of harmful contaminant is found and removed so that you can get your space or your business back on track. Don’t risk traumatizing yourself, or your health and safety by attempting to tackle such a specialized job.