Contamination control is a generic term for all activities aimed at controlling the presence, growth, and proliferation of contamination in certain areas. Contamination control can refer to the atmosphere as well as surfaces, to particulates as well as microbes and the prevention of contamination and decontamination.
Video Contamination control
Function
The purpose of all contamination control activities is to ensure a sufficient level of cleanliness permanently in a controlled environment. This is done by maintaining, reducing, or eradicating appropriate and inadequate contamination for sanitary purposes or for maintaining an efficient production level.
Maps Contamination control
Usage
One of the most common environments that incorporate contamination control into its standard protocol is the cleanroom. There are many precautions in a clean room environment. They include subjecting cleanroom staff to strict clothing regulations, and there is often a gowning room where staff can change clothes in sterile conditions to prevent particulate entry from outside environments. Certain areas in the cleanroom are tighter measures than others: packaging areas, corridors, gowning rooms and hatchery transfers incorporate strict contamination control measures to maintain cleanroom standards.
Contamination control is also an important asset for industrial laboratories in the pharmaceutical and life sciences sector. Other places used include automotive paint shops, entrance to industrial kitchens and food service providers, many manufacturing areas, and assembly areas of electronic components.
More recently, effective contamination control has been a concern for laboratories and other sensitive environments as a measure of bio-security crisis management. Some banks and insurance companies use contamination control products as part of their disaster management protocol. Preventive measures are designed as preparation to combat potential pandemic or proliferation biohazards in any potential terrorist attack.
Type of contamination
In addition to particles such as ions and molecules, the most common types of contamination are:
- People - Hair, fiber particles of body and clothing, also poor hygiene that causes the deposition of microorganisms
- Environment - Dust particles, contaminated air, work surface, gas, movement ceiling, walls and floors
- Materials - Micro organisms on packaging, packaging also create particles, fibers, dust.
- Tools - move the shrinkage part of the drive belt.
- Buildings - Flakes of paint, rusty pipe work, surface not well maintained.
- Water - Micro organisms grow in water. improperly cleaned equipment is left in damp conditions, spills do not mop properly etc.
Many types of organisms potentially damage the process in a critical environment. The seven most common contaminants are:
- Aspergillus niger
- Burkholderia cepacia
- Clostridium difficile
- Escherichia coli
- Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa
- Salmonella enteritidis
These and many other damaging contaminants can infiltrate the critical areas in various ways. Particulate can enter through the air, or in the carrier feet moving between the external environment and within the critical area, for example.
Contamination effects
Contamination poses a significant risk to the technical processes, experiments or production activities, as well as the individuals involved. Proliferation of easily compacted contamination can quickly lead to product damage, yield reduction, product recalls and other results that are very detrimental to the business. Products in various industries are recalled due to ineffective contamination control systems.
Based on this evidence it can be said that many businesses do not adequately protect themselves from the harmful effects of contamination, and many products in many industries are being withdrawn due to unsafe manufacturing processes.
Type
Body movements cause contamination, and protective clothing such as hats, cleanroom clothing and face masks are basic items of contamination control. In addition to people, another common way to include contamination is on the trolley wheels used to transport equipment.
To prevent air contamination, particulate air filters (HEPA) are high efficiency, airlocks and cleanroom clothing are used. HEPA screening systems used in the medical sector combine high-energy ultraviolet light units to kill live bacteria and viruses trapped by filter media. These measures limit the amount of particulates in the atmosphere and hamper their proper growth.
Sticky mat
Studies by 3M show that more than 80% of contaminants enter the small room through the entrance and exit, mostly at or near the floor level. To address this problem, suitable flooring systems are used that effectively attract, retain and inhibit the growth of viable organisms. Studies show that the most effective type of flooring system is one of polymer compositions.
The polymer pad is very effective because of its flexibility as it allows more contact with the serrations on shoes and wheels and can hold more particles while still remaining effective. Electrostatic potential adds to the effectiveness of this type of contamination control as it allows the particles to be maintained until the floor is cleaned. This method of attracting and maintaining these particles is more effective than mats with an active adhesive layer that needs to be peeled and often not flexible. During the tack level of the mattress larger than the donor (such as the foot or the wheel), contamination touching the surface will be removed. The very high nail surfaces pose a threat of contamination as they tend to remove excessive shoe protection. Polymer floors are produced to ensure a higher level of adhesiveness than surfaces that come into contact with it, without causing discomfort and potentially damaging 'stickiness'.
Copper alloy surface
Copper alloy surfaces have intrinsic properties that effectively and rapidly destroy microbes and they are being installed in health care facilities and in subway transit systems as a public health protection measure in addition to routine cleaning. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved the registration of 355 different antibacterial copper alloys that killed E. coli O157: H7, methicillin -an Staphylococcus aureus ( MRSA ), Staphylococcus , Enterobacter aerogenes , and Pseudomonas aeruginosa . The EPA has determined that when cleaned regularly, this copper alloy surface:
- Continually reduce bacterial contamination, reaching 99.9% reduction in two hours of exposure;
- Kill more than 99.9% Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria in two hours of exposure;
- Providing continuous and sustained antibacterial action, remains effective in killing more than 99.9% of bacteria in two hours;
- Kill over 99.9% of bacteria in two hours, and continue to kill 99% of bacteria even after repeated contamination;
- Helps inhibit bacterial buildup and growth in two hours of exposure between routine cleaning and sanitary steps.
As a contamination control measure, the EPA has approved a long list of "community-generated" antimicrobial copper products made from this copper alloy, such as bedrail, handrails, bedside tables, sinks, taps, door knobs, toiletries , keyboard computer, health club equipment, shopping cart grip, etc. (For a comprehensive product list, see: Copper-alloy antimicrobial touch surface ç§ approved products).
See also
- Cleanroom
- Decontamination
- HEPA
References
External links
- Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (IEST)
- Cleanrooms in Ireland
- Global Society for Contamination Control (GSFCC)
- Cleanroom Technology-The Internal Journal of Contamination Control
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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