Minimal Environmental Interference

Erik Swenson / 0 Comments / Blog / Air Monitoring Equipment, Air Sampling Devices, air sampling instruments, air sampling systems /

When working in a sensitive environment, it is critical to use the right equipment. Your first priority should always be preserving the quality of the environment surrounding your workspace, as environmental stability can make or break any number of critical mission functions. For this reason, it is worth taking a little time to understand which air sampling devices will deliver minimal environmental interference in your workflows.

Undesirable Traits

In addition to comparing and contrasting each microbial air sampler’s features list, you may want to pay special attention to specific undesirable traits that can negatively impact your workspace. Unfiltered exhaust, for example, can compromise the air surrounding the sampler. Various issues to watch out for include: Generation of particles (shedding of materials by a device), Laminar airflow disruption (due to unit size, or shape), harboring or shedding microbial contaminants (due to the inability to completely sanitize a device), oversized devices that are difficult to place, or sample volumes being exhausted at the test location. Any one of these issues can create serious problems.

Ideal Traits

There are a few ideal traits to identify when it comes to air sampling devices. Remote operation, for example, enables greater control over a microbial air sampler without actually needing to interact with it physically to start, stop, or pause a sample run. Other strong features include: HEPA filtered exhaust, simple and easy cleaning and sterilization, small size and convenient design, no airflow disruption, exhaust of sampled air volume outside of critical zones, and low to no particle generation. When you compare these features, you’ll notice that there are certain factors of air sampling equipment that go above and beyond the sampling rate of devices.

In summary, selecting the appropriate air sampling device is an important step in preserving the quality of your work environment. Think carefully about your workflows and their needs, and consider all features of a microbial air sampler to ensure you receive a product that delivers what you require without compromising your environment. For more information, please visit www.emtekair.com or contact us with any questions at 877.850.4244. .

Feb 24, 2014

Air Monitoring Equipment

Erik Swenson / 0 Comments / Blog / Air Monitoring Equipment, Air Sampling Equipment, air sampling instruments, air sampling systems /

Air sampling equipment is designed with a specific purpose in mind, but many purchasers do not realize that the differences between different air samplers can be major factors in the appropriate testing and control of their environments. Simply put, some air monitoring equipment are not fit for operation in certain environments, and using the wrong device could end up creating negative consequences for the environment that surrounds it. For this reason, it is critical to understand the differences between devices.

Device Desirability

Some device traits make specific pieces of air monitoring equipment undesirable in a clean room, or lab environment. Problems such as material shedding by the device, sample volumes exhausted at test locations, unfiltered exhaust, and airflow disruption can arise when using the wrong air sampling equipment. Additionally, cumbersome or large devices are not easily placed or located for the sake of testing.

An Ideal Design

The right air sampling design skips the major design problems of lesser units. Look for HEPA filtered exhausts, the exhaust of particles outside of critical zones, a device that is easily sterilized or sanitized, and something with a small footprint and low profile that’s easy to place. Also desirable: Remote operation controls that make it easier to manage your sampling protocols from a location, outside, or away from the critical environment being tested.

Some Considerations

When considering a new piece of air sampling equipment, you should think about the following: Type and size of microbial particles being sampled, sensitivity of those microbial organisms to the testing parameters, concentration of those microbial particles, and the ability to detect high or low levels of microbial contamination. Also to be considered: Appropriate culture media for detection of the desired microbes being collected, and the time and duration of sampling.

The wrong air sampling devices can compromise everything you do. But, choosing the right air sampler helps you keep your critical environments in an appropriate state of control, by ensuring that the device itself does not negatively impact your environment, while the samples and data you collect are accurate.

For more information about air monitoring equipment please visit www.emtekair.com or contact us at 877.850.4244 with any questions.