Vaporized hydrogen peroxide (also known as hydrogen peroxide vapor, HPV, and by the trademarked name VHP) is a gaseous form of hydrogen peroxide with applications as a low-temperature antimicrobial gas used to decontaminate enclosed and sealed areas such as laboratory workstations, isolation and pass-through rooms, and even aircraft interiors. It is registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a sterilant, which the EPA defines as "a substance that destroys or eliminates all forms of microbial life in the inanimate environment, including all forms of vegetative bacteria, bacterial spores, fungi, fungal spores, and viruses". As a sterilant, VHP is one of the chemicals approved for decontamination of anthrax spores from contaminated buildings, such as occurred during the 2001 an