Do you have contamination in your biology lab? Preventing and remediating contamination in incubators, cold rooms, and biological safety cabinets allows your organization to run a smoother operation, reduce equipment downtime, and create a safe, environmentally compliant and healthy facility. Learn more at https://www.triumvirate.com/field-services/biological-decontamination-services.
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5. Who are We?
Focused within life sciences, healthcare, education
and industrial markets, Triumvirate Environmental is a
leading provider of enterprise waste management
and EH&S services in North America.
Service Categories Include:
• Waste Management & Disposal
• EHS Consulting Services
• Field Services
• Onsite Support Services
www.triumvirate.com
7. Poll Question
When was the last time you had to
decontaminate a room or piece of
equipment?
a. Within the past 2 years
b. Within the past year
c. Within the past 6 months
d. Within the past month
e. Never (that I’m aware of)
8. Contamination Sources
Causes of contamination:
• Laboratory personnel
• Poorly developed or poorly executed
procedures
▪ Unclean lab coats
▪ Mislabeling
▪ Cross contamination
▪ Poor cell culture management
• Unclean/dirty work environment
• Poorly designed spaces
9. Mycoplasma
• Smallest free-living organism
• Considered to be the simplest
bacteria
• Lacks a cell wall
▪ Resistant to common antibiotics
• Must function as parasites to meet
energy and biosynthesis demands
• Size ~100 nm undetectable by
optical microscopy
• Multiply within cells
10. • Ubiquitous
• Broad range of hosts
▪ Humans and other mammals
▪ Birds
▪ Reptiles
▪ Fish
▪ Insects
▪ Plants
Mycoplasma
11. • First reported in cell culture in 1956
▪ Continues to challenge scientists
• No perceivable reduction of cell culture
infection rates
▪ Insufficient protection
▪ Carelessness
Mycoplasma
12. Mycoplasma in Cell Cultures
• Compete with host cells for
nutrients
• Can alter DNA, RNA, and protein
synthesis
• Diminishes amino acid and ATP
levels
• Introduces chromosomal
alterations
• Modify host-cell plasma
membrane antigens
13. Sources of Mycoplasma in
Cell Cultures
• Infected cells sent from another
lab
• Contaminated cell culture
medium reagents
• Laboratory personnel infected
with M. orale or M. fermentans
• Contamination can spread
rapidly to other cell lines
14. Mycoplasma Disinfection
• Cell Culture
▪ Despite resistances, addition of suitable antibiotics is best (Drexler &
Uphoff, 2003)
➢Quinolones, tetracyclines, and macrolides
• Surfaces
▪ Autoclave – compatible materials, fully efficient
▪ 70% ethanol – fully efficient, complete inactivation after 5 min. exposure
▪ Alkaline cleaner – increased efficiency with increased concentration,
complete inactivation at 8%
▪ Chlorine Dioxide or Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide– very efficient for
enclosures or small rooms
▪ Quaternary ammonium compounds – poor efficiency
17. Incubator Contamination
• Fans become loaded with debris
• Buildup occurs on sensors and
gaskets
• Basic surface cleaning & gas
disinfection does not remove this
buildup
• Leads to contaminated media
18. • Procedure is make and
model specific
• Follow methods
recommended by
manufacturer
• Manufacturer provides
replacement parts kit
(filters, gaskets, plugs, etc.)
Incubator Contamination
22. BSC Contamination
• Internal parts and HEPA filter
become loaded with debris
• Basic cleaning does not
remove this buildup
• Leads to contaminated media
23. When is BSC
Decontamination Needed?
• After large spills of chemicals or biological
materials
• Prior to any maintenance work, filter changes,
and performance tests that requires access to
any contaminated portion of the BSC
• Decommissioning, disposal, or salvage
• Initiating a new work program or production
run
• Relocation from one room/building to another
24. • BSCs decontaminated per the National
Sanitation Foundation (NSF)/American
National Standards Institute (ANSI) 49
Standard for Biological Safety Cabinet
Decontamination
• Includes removing panels and removal of
bulk materials and debris
• BSC is sealed and a Mini Chlorine Dioxide
System (MCS) is utilized to disinfect the
cabinets
BSC Contamination
25. Mini Chlorine Dioxide System
• Utilizes chlorine dioxide (CD) gas for
biological decontamination per NSF/ANSI
49 - 2016
• Fast and safe device for decontamination
of BSCs
• Built in charcoal gas-scrubbing unit allows
technician to remove CD without external
venting
31. • Mold needs moisture
• Condensation can
lead to mold growth
Cold Room Contamination
32. Mold Remediation
• Eliminate moisture
sources
• Remove all cardboard
and porous materials
• Use a biological
disinfectant (bleach) to
clean all surfaces
• Run HEPA filtered
vacuum to capture
airborne spores
34. Routine Maintenance
• Prevent contamination by being
proactive
• Setup a routine:
▪ Full decontamination bi-annually
▪ Full decontamination between
operational changes
▪ Full decontamination if
contamination is identified
35. Poll Question
How often do you do routine
contamination prevention of your cold
rooms?
a. Never
b. Every 1-6 months
c. Every 6-12 months
d. Every 12-24 months
38. • Routine maintenance only
included incubator “self-clean”
• Buildup in the fan housing,
underneath baffles, and behind
sensors
• Full decontamination and
consumable replacement
mitigated the issue
Incubators
Contaminating Media
46. Summary
• Establish a preventative maintenance
schedule
• Perform routine decontaminations
• Facilitate training and teaching
• Determine appropriate strategies to
minimize or manage the risk of
contamination
• Communication is the key