Microbial Decontamination of a 65-Room New Pharmaceutical Research Facility

Abstract

The following article describes a case study about decontamination of a 65-room new animal research facility located in the Northeast. The decontamination took place during the cold winter month of January, and all equipment used to run the facility was in place prior to beginning the decontamination. This facility had an essential need for complete decontamination because a lot of its equipment was procured from other facilities and cross-contamination was a concern. Chlorine dioxide gas was used due to the inherent properties of a gas, such as excellent distribution and penetration which were required due to the numerous rooms in the facility. The target concentration was not reached, but since photometric measurement was utilized, the exposure was extended accordingly and the end result was successful. All biological indicators were eradicated, and no residues and no material degradation were observed.