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- Title
Evaluation of biosafety cabinets used in microbiology laboratories according to performance qualification tests.
- Authors
NAMLI BOZKURT, Edibe Nurzen; ÖZNUR, Azer Sibel
- Abstract
Objective: The biosafety cabinet is one of the important devices used in microbiology laboratories to provide personnel, environment and product protection. For this reason, performance characterization tests should be performed both at the installation stage and routinely. There are inspection bodies established for this purpose in our country. In this study, the findings were examined based on the last three years’ data by the Sterility Control Laboratory (accredited-Inspection institution) accredited by TS EN ISO/IEC 17020 under the Ministry of Health of Türkiye, Department of Public Health Reference Laboratories of the General Directorate of Public Health. Methods: In this study, nonconformities in biosafety cabinets, which were inspected based on TS EN ISO 12469 “Microbiological Safety Cabinets Performance, Classification and Verification” and ANSI/NSF-49 “Biosafety Cabinet Design, Production, Performance and Field Certification” standards between 2019-2021, were investigated. Within the scope of these standards, leakage in the main filter, leakage in the exhaust filter, inlet air flow velocity, downstream air velocity measurement, air flow direction and visualization tests were applied. In addition, the cabins have undergone preliminary inspection. Results: The leakage rates were found as 22.9% in the main filter and 23.6% in the exhaust filter. The nonconformity rates due to air flow velocities and flow visualization tests were found as 19.1% for inflow airflow velocity, 15.3% for downstream airflow velocity and 19.1% for flow visualization tests. Conclusion: It was observed that the most frequently observed non-compliance was leakage in the filters. In addition, it has been determined that users do not have a filter certificate. In the preliminary examination, it was determined that there were also cabins that did not give visual and audible alarms when the flow was blocked. Since providing a healthy working environment in microbiology laboratories is one of the main objectives, we believe that it is important to have the performance qualification tests of the biosafety cabinets done at certain intervals in terms of employee health.
- Subjects
AMERICAN National Standards Institute; FLOW visualization; FLOW velocity; BIOSAFETY; AIR flow; INDUSTRIAL hygiene; MICROBIOLOGY; SAFETY standards
- Publication
Turkish Bulletin of Hygiene & Experimental Biology / Türk Hijyen ve Deneysel Biyoloji, 2023, Vol 80, Issue 4, p483
- ISSN
0377-9777
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.5505/TurkHijyen.2023.94220