A Study of Air-Tightness in Australian High-level Bio-containment Facilities

Abstract

To assess the air-tightness of physical containment level 3 (PC3) bio-containment facilities in Australia, the seal integrity of 18 PC3 facilities was quantified by means of an equilibrium pressure air-tightness test conducted at positive pressure. The results of the test, which measured the leakage of air from the facility, indicate a variation in the air-tightness of the tested facilities which correlated with the facilities' age and method of construction. The results of the test also provided information on the contribution of different types of penetrations of the facility barrier to the overall air-tightness of a PC3 facility. These results demonstrate that while newer facilities constructed using modern technology had the greatest air-tightness, older facilities constructed using cheaper construction materials and methods also achieved a high level of air-tightness. Possible risks to health and human safety from facilities with decreased air-tightness are discussed.

References

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. (1996). Containment standards for veterinary facilities. Publication No. 1921. [Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Canada].

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) & National Institutes of Health (NIH). (1999). Biosafety in microbiological and biomedical laboratories (5th ed.). Washington, DC: United States Department of Health and Human Services Public Health Service.

Elkins

H. B.

(1959). The chemistry of industrial toxicology (2nd ed.) (pp. 89–90). New York: Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Health Canada. (2004). Laboratory biosafety guidelines (3rd ed.). Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Minister of Public Works and Government Services.

Henneberger

P. K.

, Olin

A. C.

, Andersson

, Hagberg

, & Torén

(2005). The incidence of respiratory symptoms and diseases among pulp mill workers with peak exposures to ozone and other irritant gases. Chest, 128(4), 3028–3037.

IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. (2006). Volume 88, 39–325.

Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR). (1 September 2006). Guidelines for the certification of facilities/physical containment requirement, PC3 guidelines and checklists, PC3 laboratory. Available at: www.ogtr.gov.au/pubform/certification.htm#PC3

Pickering

G. W.

(1982). ANAHL analysis of containment. Commonwealth of Australia: Department of Transport and Construction.

Spiner

D. R.

, & Hoffman

R. K.

(1971). Effect of relative humidity on formaldehyde decontamination. Applied Microbiology, 22(6), 1138–1140.

10.

Standards Australia/Standards New Zealand. (2002). Safety in laboratories—Microbiological aspects and containment facilities. Sydney, Australia: Standards Australia International (AS/NZS 2243.3 [2002]).

11.

United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2000). Toxicological review of chlorine dioxide and chlorite. Cas Nos 10049-04-4 and 7758-19-2. In Support of Summary Information on the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS). Washington, DC: U.S. EPA.

12.

International Veterinary Biosafety Working Group. (2006). Veterinary containment facilities: Design and construction handbook (1st ed.). Bremgarten [Netherlands]: International Veterinary Biosafety Working Group.

13.

World Health Organization (WHO). (2004). Laboratory biosafety manual (3rd ed.). Geneva: WHO.