Examination of air and surface particulate levels from cleanroom mats and polymeric flooring

contamination control, reversible attachment is a concern. Particles on the floor that are not completely contained or trapped onto a surface will eventually, through air movement and vortices, become re-suspended into the air. Previous studies have shown that transfer of contamination by people walking across floors has one of the highest re-dispersal factors7. One of the measures commonly employed to reduce the level of contamination entering cleanrooms through the transit of materials and people is the use of special flooring. Such flooring, which is normally in the form of temporary or permanent mats, is designed to remove a number of visible and sub-visible particulates and, therefore, reduce the likelihood of the transfer of contamination and thus minimise the associated risk of re-dispersal. Given that the interfaces between classified cleanrooms or changing rooms and unclassified areas are potentially vulnerable areas, cleanroom mats are commonly situated in these areas8. Environments like changing rooms, areas where there is a high personnel presence and throughput, are arguably more prone to the transfer of contamination due to air disturbance. The reduction of contamination within changing rooms is of importance in terms of reducing any potential contamination that may be carried into a processing area9. Special flooring designed to control contamination in cleanrooms commonly takes one of two forms: adhesive mats or polymeric flooring. Given the range of adhesive-based, peel-off disposable flooring produced by different companies, it is likely that the adhesive capabilities, and hence the ability of the flooring to reduce the number of particle carried on footwear, will vary. There have been few published studies into the effectiveness of cleanroom flooring, despite the long *Corresponding author:Dr T Sandle, Head of Microbiology, Bio Products Laboratory, Elstree, Hertfordshire, UK; email: [email protected] European Journal of Parenteral & Pharmaceutical Sciences 2012; 17(3): 110-119 © 2012 Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Sciences Society