03 Sep Cleanroom Contamination: What it is and How to Prevent it
Operating a cleanroom is often a constant and invisible battle against contamination. Unfortunately, most of the particles cannot be seen, and in the normal state of nature, airborne particles of all kinds are the norm. A clean space is necessarily a very unnatural one, which is what makes them so hard to maintain, especially when human beings are involved. With the right strategies, however, it is possible to minimize it. In this article, we’ll cover the different types of cleanroom contamination, the methods used to reduce them, and more.
Types of Cleanroom Contamination
When operating a cleanroom, there are seemingly countless ways for things to go wrong. Cleanroom contamination is all too common, and each different form has unique sources, risks, and methods to prevent it. Let’s go over the most common forms of contamination within cleanrooms, and discuss a few common ways to minimize them.
Particle Contamination
Particle contamination is simply contamination in general, as technically everything can be considered “particles,” whether they are non-viable or viable. Generally speaking, such particles can come from a variety of sources, including personnel, equipment, materials, and outside air/adjacent rooms.
Particles in general can lead to many serious problems within cleanrooms. For example, in semiconductor and electronics manufacturing, a single one can cause a product to fail, which can add up over time and hurt yields.
How to Prevent it
There are so many methods to reduce particle contamination that it wouldn’t be practical to list them all here, but many cleanrooms try to lower it through strict gowning protocols, high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters, proper placement of equipment within the layout, and more.
Human Contamination
Human contamination is perhaps the biggest source of cleanroom contamination; in fact, some experts report that it contributes to 80% of it. As you might expect, this type comes directly from personnel who enter and work in cleanrooms. Human skin, hair, and body fluids can all introduce unwanted particles. Even with strict gowning procedures, it is very challenging to completely remove and keep out the microorganisms that human beings naturally carry.
How to Prevent it
To reduce human-borne contamination, cleanrooms use strict gowning procedures, hygiene training, frequent handwashing, and also try to limit personnel movement as much as possible.
Chemical Contamination
Chemical contamination is not talked about as much as the other forms mentioned above, but it is nevertheless important in keeping cleanrooms particle-free. Chemicals can arise from substances such as cleaning agents, process chemicals, and outgassing materials. (Outgassing materials are substances that emit gases or vapors. This can happen due to low pressure, high temperatures, or the natural aging of the materials.)
How to Prevent it
To reduce chemical contamination, cleanrooms often use low-outgassing materials and personnel are trained how to properly store and handle cleaning agents.
Biological Contamination
Finally, biological contamination involves the presence of microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Humans are often a primary source, but they are certainly not the only one. If spaces are not cleaned well enough, then mold and other microorganisms may grow over time. This is especially important in pharmaceutical and biotech industries, where such microorganisms can affect sterile products, and thereby cause severe health risks to patients.
How to Prevent it
In order to reduce biological contamination, it’s important to use disinfectants and practice routine environmental monitoring. Coving is often used to make corners easier to clean as well. And, as always, it is important that personnel follow their strict hygiene practices.
Cleanroom Contamination: The Bottom Line
Controlling cleanroom contamination is important in many manufacturing and scientific environments. By understanding the types of contamination and the methods for reducing them, businesses operating cleanrooms can protect their products or research processes. Though it’s nearly impossible to eliminate all contamination at all times, with careful attention and proper protocols, businesses can keep it under control.
Looking to build a facility that places contamination control at the forefront? Get a free quote on a new cleanroom from Allied Cleanrooms today.
FAQs About Cleanroom Contamination
1. What is the most common source of cleanroom contamination?
The most common form of cleanroom contamination is human activity. Particles from skin, hair, fluids, and are often introduced by personnel working in the cleanroom, which is why gowning protocol has become so important in contamination control.
2. How important is environmental monitoring in contamination control?
Environmental monitoring helps detect potential contamination risks early by tracking particle counts, microbial levels, and environmental conditions such as humidity and temperature.
3. Can contamination be completely eliminated from cleanrooms?
Not really, no. Though it is possible to significantly reduce certain sizes of particles, it is nearly impossible to reduce all of them, and in most cases it is not practical to do so anyway. Regulations such as ISO help cleanrooms minimize them to acceptable levels instead.
4. How does cross-contamination occur in a cleanroom environment?
Cross-contamination can occur when contaminants from one area or process are accidentally transferred to another, often due to shared equipment, improper cleaning, or poor workflow/layout design.