Mobile HEPA Air Cleaners for the Life Science Industry

Clean air plays an imperative role in the life science, healthcare, and pharmaceutical process chain. Many studies have inferred that the damage caused to human health by moderate levels of air pollution is irreversible. In the life science industry, where biological life or living organisms are at play and airborne contamination directly impacts the quality of pharmaceutical products, medical devices and hospital healthcare, it is vital to maintain hygiene along with superior indoor air quality.

High-efficiency (HEPA) air filtration solutions are used by many global life science industry specialists in cleanrooms, production areas, and laboratories around the world. In the pharmaceutical industry, cleanroom air filtration and process dust collection solutions play a pivotal role in ensuring the manufacture of high-quality pharmaceutical products while meeting stringent health and safety regulations.

In the wake of COVID-19, authorities around the globe are taking a closer look at the way the life science industry approaches indoor air quality (IAQ) in hopes of finding advanced air pollution solutions, systems, or products that can be applied to mass benefit.

Within the life science industry, cleanliness requirements may differ greatly. High efficiency particulate (HEPA) filtration is often required for aseptic processing and oral solid dosage facilities, and some areas even require dust collection equipment based upon the volume of airborne particles produced by the process. Biogenetic research or cytotoxic manufacturing and preparation facilities may require negative pressure containment or quarantine areas.

Typically, high efficiency HEPA filters require large amounts of air to pass through the ventilation system, so the airflow requirements of the HVAC system should be taken into account. An increase in efficiency and thus pressure drop in a HVAC system can mean possible changes in the fan, power consumption and a requirement for duct or framework modifications. Accommodating these changes is not always possible.

An effective and swift alternative to a HEPA filter upgrade in the HVAC system is the use of portable air cleaners equipped with HEPA air filters. They remove dust and harmful particles from the indoor air and can drastically reduce the risk of infection.

Mobile HEPA air cleaners can help pharmaceutical manufacturers, laboratories, and other life science industry facilities remove airborne contaminants, particulates, dust, odours, gases, and pathogens without the need to replace or reconfigure the entire HVAC system. Camfil air cleaners are designed to supplement the HVAC system to not only protect people, products, and processes but also to reduce energy consumption.

Mobile air cleaners for negative pressure containment or quarantine areas

Negative pressure containment or quarantine areas are designed to contain the spread of pathogens from the working area, and air pressures within these areas are negative relative to adjacent rooms. This prevents air, which may contain dangerous viruses, from flowing out of the room through open doors, windows, or even through unseen cracks in the facility boundary as it is blocked by the higher air pressure outside the room. Subject to how they are connected, mobile air cleaners can be a key piece of equipment to temporarily convert regular rooms into negative pressure containment or quarantine areas.

Mobile air cleaners can perform four critical functions; two methods to generate negatively pressurized isolation areas and two methods to recirculate HEPA filtered air.

To generate negatively pressurized isolation areas:

1. Positioned inside the area and using a duct attached with a slip collar, in-room air is exhausted outside generating a negative pressure in the room.
2. Positioned outside the area and with slip collar mounted ducts on both intake and exhaust, air can be drawn through the duct and exhausted outside, generating negative pressure.

To recirculate HEPA filter air:

1. Positioned where needed and draws in air through the bottom, exhausting filtered air through a vented top. Note: some models draw in air through the top, exhausting filtered air through a vented bottom.
2. Positioned outside the area and with slip collar mounted ducts on both intake and exhaust, air is drawn through the duct, filtered, and exhausted through a duct back into the originating area.

Mobile air cleaners for odour removal

For some life science facilities, odour or noxious contaminants such as ammonia, formaldehyde or other VOCs can be an issue requiring gaseous (molecular) air filtration for removal. Installing mobile air cleaners equipped with both HEPA and molecular filters can assist as a solution.

Camfil in-Room Air Cleaners

Global clean air solutions manufacturer Camfil offer a complete range of in-room air cleaners designed to improve indoor air quality through the removal of ultrafine airborne particles, specific odours and hazardous gases.

Available now through Camfil Australia, air cleaner configurations include particulate filtration using Camfil Absolute™ HEPA filters or E11 rated filters and molecular filtration using activated carbon or custom gaseous filtration options.

Camfil’s CC 6000 ProSafe model conforms to BRCGS standards for food safety to help food and pharmaceutical processing facilities comply with stringent industry standards on safety, traceability and control.

General benefits of the Camfil air cleaner range include cleaner indoor air quality for a healthier indoor environment, a reduced need for surface cleaning through the efficient removal of dust and airborne contaminants and reduced energy costs through efficient air purification. Large scale manufacturing facilities may also benefit from more efficient production through zone cleaning.

Available in various models to suit small sized rooms up to 60m² through to larger open plan spaces up to 1500m², Camfil air cleaners are ideal for use within communal shared spaces, commercial offices, hotel rooms, hospital suites, warehouses, server rooms, cleanrooms, food production and life science facilities.

For more information regarding our range of air cleaners, please go to https://www.camfil.com/en-au/insights/air-cleaners-and-air-purifiers/camfil-australia-air-cleaners.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Gorodenkoff