Cleanrooms are vital within the pharmaceutical microbiology industry. In this blog, we’ll be exploring what they are, their key characteristics, common contaminants, and why they benefit microbiologists. Keep reading now to learn more.
What Is a Cleanroom?
A cleanroom is an environment that’s designed to be free from contaminants. The area is controlled so that the airborne particles are within specific boundaries.
Cleanrooms are used throughout various industries, including pharmaceutical microbiology, where they provide a controlled environment that protects pharmaceutical products from contamination and pollutants such as dust, airborne microbes, and aerosol particles.
Key Features of a Cleanroom
Cleanrooms have stringent rules and characteristics to ensure they remain pristine and sterile environments. These include:
- Air Filtration—High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters or ultra-low penetration air filters (ULPA) remove any adverse airborne particles and keep the air continually circulating.
- Cleaning — The surfaces and equipment in cleanrooms are regularly and thoroughly cleaned. This is to guarantee that the room always has low particle levels.
- Controlled Access — Cleanroom access is highly restricted and controlled to ensure that only trained personnel can enter. There is usually an airlock to provide extra security.
- Personnel Rules — Alongside needing to be trained to have cleanroom access, personnel must wear specialised clothing (e.g. gloves and gowns) and follow specific protocols to minimise contamination from outside.
Online, interactive training courses can help those who are new to working in GMP cleanrooms as well as being ideal for Production Operators, Cleaners, QA, QC and Engineers Pharmig microbiology offers a Cleaning & Disinfection of Cleanrooms, Interactive Training Module that can give your team access to superior online training. Click the link to find out more today.
Contamination and Cleanrooms
Keeping cleanrooms uncontaminated is paramount. There are some common contaminants that personnel must be aware of, such as:
- Human Skin Cells — We naturally shed skin cells, but even the smallest amount can interfere with microbiology studies. This is why personnel must dress accordingly.
- Equipment Particles—Skin cells aren’t the only particles that can contaminate a clean room; particles from tools or machinery can also disrupt the pristine environment.
- Airborne Microbes — Microorganisms in the air can disrupt microbiology studies. If uncontrolled contaminants get into the cleanroom, they can affect experimental results. Keeping the airflow clean and constantly moving helps to prevent these microbes.
- Dust — Microscopic dust particles can also affect microbiology experiments. If dust gets into a cleanroom, it could render the research unreliable.
Learn more about cleanroom contamination via Pharmig’s Guide to Cleanroom Operation and Contamination Control.
The Takeaway
Cleanrooms are integral for microbiologists. Whether you’re new to the industry or reviewing and validating key topics, hopefully, this blog has helped you understand the importance of cleanrooms and why they are required within the world of pharmaceutical microbiology.
Continue learning from a professional pharmaceutical microbiology organisation today. Visit the Pharmig blog online here.