Multiple experts have been weighing in online on the effect of the Canadian wildfires on cleanroom HVAC systems across the world. With many advising having extra HEPAs on hand if your facility was in the path of the fumes.
Board Certified Sterile Compounding Pharmacist, George Smith started a conversation on LinkedIn, posing the question: “How many cleanrooms in NYC (or anywhere else affected by the Canadian smoke) on the edge of meeting USP<797> ACPH will be suddenly out of compliance as their HEPAs are clogged with smoke particles?” Smith argues that the commonly used HEPA filter with a pre-filter will not trap these fine particles.
Many advised having extra HEPAs on hand if your facility was in the path of the fumes
Other experts, such as cleanroom expert Morgan Polen, agreed with Smith on this point and added that a well-designed cleanroom air handling system with multiple filters would generally be robust enough to handle the increased pollution.
Sterile compounding expert, Annie Lamber, talked about her facility’s experience with a cleanroom certification that fell during a previous wave of wildfire smoke in the Pacific NorthWest, saying they knew the facility was subpar, and this event confirmed it.
The bottom line was a discussion of cost, on whether the average pharmacy could afford to run this level of cleanroom, and whether this was a valid reason to not install multiple filters. What wasn’t in question in any expert’s mind was the need for constant monitoring for changes and pressure drops, and to try and deduce trends that can be used for preemptive action.