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Electronic particle counting for evaluating the quality of air in operating theatres: a potential basis for standards?
Author(s) -
Seal D.V.,
Clark R.P.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
journal of applied bacteriology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.889
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1365-2672
pISSN - 0021-8847
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2672.1990.tb02568.x
Subject(s) - operating theatres , particle (ecology) , range (aeronautics) , particle number , particle size , environmental science , particle size distribution , cleanroom , sampling (signal processing) , particle counter , nuclear engineering , materials science , analytical chemistry (journal) , physics , aerosol , optics , chemistry , meteorology , engineering , nanotechnology , chromatography , nuclear physics , composite material , detector , oceanography , plasma , medicine , geology , medical emergency
Airborne particle counting in eight size ranges (0.5 → 20 μm), by computerized electronic equipment, was compared with the numbers of bacteria‐carrying particles (BCP) assessed by slit sampling in ultra‐clean and turbulently ventilated operating theatres. In the ultra‐clean theatre the number of particles of 5–7 μm size range correlated with BCP while peaks in the numbers of particles <3 μm and > 15 μm corresponded with activity. Comparative relationships also occurred in the turbulently ventilated theatre but the use of this equipment in that environment cannot yet replace counts of airborne bacteria. We consider that electronic particle counting in the 0–20 μm size range may be used to judge the performance of a clean air operating theatre distribution system, including efficiency and integrity of the filter/seal systems and the presence or absence of entrainment of bacteria and other particles. The sampling techniques and analysis of particle concentration results described here may be a suitable basis for standards.