Testing Consumable Products For Cleanrooms
By Jan Eudy
It is recommended that when comparing cleanroom consumable products manufactured by several vendors that all products be tested at the same lab, with the same test method, and by the same technician. What test methods are recommended for cleanroom consumable products?

Airborne Molecular Contamination, Part 1: Silent Poison
By Barbara Kanegsberg, Ed Kanegsberg
Airborne Molecular Contamination (AMC) can be a "silent poisoner" of your process and product. AMC is any unwanted organic or inorganic molecule that is carried by the air to the surface of the product.

Thinking Outside The Box (Or At Least Outside The SEM)
By Ed Kanegsberg, Barbara Kanegsberg
Most manufacturers have access to SEM/EDX; and it provides useful information. However, sometimes we expect more from SEM/EDX than the technique is capable of providing, such as molecular identification of a specific organic residue.

What the Administrative Procedures Act Means to You
By John B. Durkee, Ph.D., P.E.
The Administrative Procedures Act (APA) is the reason that no exposure limit was required in EPA’s 2007 Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) ruling on n-propyl bromide (n-PB). In keeping with the APA, the ruling contained only a recommendation for an exposure limit.

Why Exposure Limits Can Have Little to Do With Hazards
By John B. Durkee, Ph.D., P.E.
This column is about partial truth: Most believe that a lower exposure limit means a chemical is more toxic, and should be avoided for just that reason. That analysis is partially true.

Diffuser Models For Airflow Simulation
By Jelena Srebric, Ph.D., Andrew Manning, Qingyan Chen, Ph.D.
Accurate simulation of the airflow and heat transfer in cleanrooms is highly dependent on the diffuser, yet diffusers have traditionally been very difficult to model.

Fungal, Chemical, and Fire Resistance of PVDF Foams and Polymers
By Ron Partridge
Covering exposed surfaces with PVDF polymer provides a high-purity “inert” surface which does not support the growth of microorganisms and provides the resistance needed to withstand the harsh chemicals used for cleaning and sterilization.

VOC Management -- EPA's Dual System
By John B. Durkee, Ph.D., P.E.
For more than two decades, scientists have attempted to measure and model the relationship between ozone formation and emission of VOCs.

Civics 102
By John B. Durkee, Ph.D., P.E.
This column is not about critical cleaning. It’s about how your government works. It’s about what you have to know to manage chemicals, which most of us managing critical cleaning work have to do.

Factoring Business Continuity and Risk Management in Aseptic Product Development
By Tej Poonai, Bikash Chatterjee
We will discuss how the current FDA guidance for product development can integrate the concept of business continuity into the planning process, affording organizations the ability to lay the foundation for flexibility in the operating plan, if the situation warrants it.

The Advent of Rapid Microbiological Methods: Background, Applications, and Validation
By Peter R. Ball, Loris Arbizzani,, Christopher J. Mach
RMM instruments have been on the market for a number of years, but recent developments, such as performance improvements and cost reductions in the technology, have made them more attractive than in the past.