People as a Contamination Source in Pharmaceutical Clean Rooms-Source Strengths and Calculated Concentrations of Airborne Contaminants
Journal article, 2021

Results are presented from studies performed in a test chamber on clean room garments used, laundered, and sterilized (autoclaved 20 min at 121°C), 50, 60, and 70 times, and garments used, laundered, and sterilized with a prolonged autoclave cycle 50 times. The source strength is described as the mean value of the number per second of airborne particles and aerobic colony-forming units (CFUs), respectively, emitted from one person dressed in the system to be evaluated. Results from body-box tests have been used to calculate theoretical expected concentrations of airborne aerobic CFUs and particles (≥0.5 µm) in clean rooms with different numbers of people present and at different airflows (m3/s). Theoretical expected concentrations of airborne aerobic CFUs are often below the detection level of traditional measuring equipment.

predicted contamination levels

test chamber

airborne contaminants

source strengths

pharmaceutical cleanrooms

Author

Bengt Ljungqvist

Chalmers, Architecture and Civil Engineering, Building Services Engineering

Berit Reinmüller

Chalmers, Architecture and Civil Engineering, Building Services Engineering

PDA journal of pharmaceutical science and technology

19482124 (eISSN)

Vol. 75 2 119-127

Subject Categories

Other Civil Engineering

Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology

DOI

10.5731/pdajpst.2020.012054

PubMed

32999075

More information

Latest update

12/23/2021