Decontamination systems
Introduction
Pollution control is the generic term for all those activities that aim to control the existence, growth and proliferation of contamination in certain areas. Pollution control can refer to the atmosphere, surfaces, matter, microbes and contamination prevention, as well as decontamination.
Function
The goal of all pollution control activities is to permanently ensure a sufficient level of cleanliness in controlled environments. This is achieved by maintaining, reducing or eradicating contamination for health purposes or to maintain an efficient production rate.
Use
One of the most common environments that incorporate contamination control into their standard protocols are clean rooms. In these environments there are many preventative procedures including that ward staff adhere to strict dress regulations and there is usually a "gown" room where staff can dress under sterile conditions to prevent airborne particles from outside entering the ward. Certain areas of these cleanrooms have more restrictive measures than others: packaging areas, corridors, gowning rooms and transfer hatches incorporate strict contamination control measures to maintain cleanroom standards.
Contamination control is also an important asset for industrial laboratories in the pharmaceutical and life sciences sectors. Other places of use include automotive paint shops, entrances to industrial kitchens and food service providers, many manufacturing areas, and electronic component assembly areas.
More recently, effective contamination control has been a concern for laboratories and other sensitive environments as a biosafety crisis management measure. Some banks and insurance companies use pollution control products as part of their disaster management protocols. These preventive measures are seen as preparation to combat potential pandemics or the proliferation of biological risk in any potential terrorist attack.
Types of pollution
In addition to suspended particles such as ions and molecules, the most common types of pollution are: