Contamination control and clean rooms

what are the source of contaminents in a clean room

- air
- water
- human
- natural products

how can humans generate contaminants

particles can be generated from skin, hair, saliva, clothing etc in humans

what should people in clean rooms do to minimise production of contaminants

limit movement to reduce the amount of contaminants produced from the person

a person that swings there arms around will produce much more contaminants than a person sitting

how is contaminants in air managed in clean rooms

clean rooms will consist of a controlled air flow system which helps filter out all the contaminants in the clean room

what are the two types of air flows in clean rooms

- turbulent air flow --> air flow is random
- laminar air flow --> the air flow is controlled

between turbulent and laminar air flow which is used in clean rooms and has the lowest chance of contaminations

laminar air flow - since its controlled the contaminants are properly being filtered out the room

in turbulent air flows the contaminants are being pushed around everywhere

what are the two types of laminar air flows

- horizontal --> air flow comes from one side of the room and flows to other side of the room
- vertical --> air flow comes from the roof of the clean room and moves down

which type of laminar air flow reduces contamination the most

vertical air flow since contaminants are not directed towards the product

where should sensitive products be placed in a horizontal air flow clean room to prevent contamination

the products should be close to the air supply


the person should be behind the product so that the air flow doesnt push contaminants onto the product

how is the air filtered in clean rooms (what actually filters the air)

HEPA filters

what layers make up the HEPA filters

1. depth filter
2. gas phase filter
3. Depth filter


as the air moves through these filters the contaminants will be captures making it cleaner

rank the classes of clean rooms in order of cleanliness

going from most to least clean
- Class A
- Class B
- Class C
- Class D

what are the features of Class A clean rooms and what happens in there

- most pressurised clean room
- is the cleanest room
- person requires full body protection before entering

in class A clean rooms this is where the procedure actually occurs such as the aseptic procedures.

what are the features of Class B clean rooms and what happens in there

Class B clean rooms is like the background of Class A clean rooms, not much is done in them rather

what happens in class C clean rooms

preperation of the procedure occur in Class C clean rooms such as:
- preperation of solutions for the aseptic procedure

what happens in Class D clean rooms

preparation of the procedure
- handling of cleaned tools for the procedure

explain the features of biosafety cabinet classes

Class I --> protects the person only
Class II --> protects the person and product (nothing can enter the cabinet)
Class III --> heavily protects the person and product (nothing can move in or out the cabinet)

what are some rules before entering clean rooms

- no smoking several hours before entering
- doors should not be closed or opened quickly
- close one door before opening another