tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5082377201579945422024-03-13T18:14:40.234-04:00ClorDiSys Contamination Control BlogContamination Control BlogClorDiSys Solutions, Inchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318190042059831330noreply@blogger.comBlogger148125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508237720157994542.post-11869776946088489902021-08-09T09:47:00.001-04:002021-08-09T09:47:05.935-04:00UV Disinfection Room within the Healthcare Industry<p><br />Ultraviolet light’s use within the healthcare industry has grown
tremendously in the past few years as a quick and effective method to reduce
the risk of pathogen transmission and hospital acquired infections. Most applications revolve around the use of
portable UV-C systems disinfecting surgical suites, intensive care units, and
patient rooms. One of the more novel
uses involves setting up a dedicated disinfection room where items can be
brought in for disinfection. This strategy
can be used for the routine disinfection of wheelchairs, hospital beds, carts,
and other large portable items. These items
that travel from room to room should be disinfected in between uses in order to
further reduce the risk of transmission and infection.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ultraviolet light is a quick method to provide line-of-sight
disinfection to objects and surfaces, with treatment times typically between
1-5 minutes depending on the arrangement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Off-the-shelf <a href="https://clordisys.com/flashbar.php" target="_blank">UV light fixtures</a> are mounted according to a customized
design based on a facility’s needs to ensure a well-balanced solution is
implemented.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Similar systems are in place within vaccine production suites
research facilities to disinfect incoming supplies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Contact us to learn more about these
inexpensive, custom solutions.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-js2kx427V0E/YRExkMra3ZI/AAAAAAAAAdE/tpVWTH3FnRAQE6kit5QjbHnV5ZIr1ELTACLcBGAsYHQ/s792/uv-disinfection-room.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="792" height="335" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-js2kx427V0E/YRExkMra3ZI/AAAAAAAAAdE/tpVWTH3FnRAQE6kit5QjbHnV5ZIr1ELTACLcBGAsYHQ/w434-h335/uv-disinfection-room.png" width="434" /></a></div><p></p>ClorDiSys Solutions, Inchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318190042059831330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508237720157994542.post-55098562569463375342021-07-26T14:42:00.003-04:002021-07-26T14:42:13.878-04:00Decontaminating PC Lines in Food / Pharma<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Many food and pharmaceutical
processing plants work with dry powder products, which are conveyed throughout
the facility in piping systems from vessel to vessel and into the finished
product package.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">These product
conveyance (PC) lines need to be disinfected in a careful manner which ensures
that they are completely dry before product is reintroduced.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">If a liquid disinfectant is introduced, it
can bind with residual product to form crusts and hard biofilms.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">ClorDiSys
uses dry, chlorine dioxide gas to decontaminate piping systems and has
performed many successful treatments within both the food and pharmaceutical
industries.</span></span><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_OSH2X8Sx2w/YP8BVVtWWYI/AAAAAAAAAco/gi9yTC-OGL0TW0808G5Aa7_VzRNEocalQCLcBGAsYHQ/Fotolia_48741034_XL.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_OSH2X8Sx2w/YP8BVVtWWYI/AAAAAAAAAco/gi9yTC-OGL0TW0808G5Aa7_VzRNEocalQCLcBGAsYHQ/Fotolia_48741034_XL.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></span></div>Chlorine dioxide gas works extremely
well for this application because, as a gas, it is able to move freely through
the piping system and all the bends and turns throughout.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Gasses do not condense or stick to surfaces
like liquids and liquid based vapor methods would, they simply continue to
travel down the line and fill up the entire system.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">To speed this process up, a recirculation
loop is traditionally set up to connect the inlet and outlet of the system and
provide an airflow within the closed loop.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Chlorine dioxide gas is able to be accurately measured throughout the
entire process, typically being measured at the very end of the loop upstream
of the gas injection location.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">This
allows for excellent process control, as the decontamination process continues
until the proper dosage has been met, rather than end after a preset time.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">This allows the decontamination process to be
validated to a particular dosage, which can be reliably and repeatably met
every time.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">As a process which can be
validated, chlorine dioxide gas can be used as a clean break within the PC
lines, allowing for a true microbial reset of the environment.</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Another main benefit for the use of
ClorDiSys dry generated chlorine dioxide gas comes at the end of the treatment.
CD gas is safe to vent to the atmosphere, allowing tanks and piping systems to
be vented to exhaust at the end of the cycle.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Our proprietary pure chlorine dioxide gas does not leave a residue,
making it ideal for product contact surfaces such as PC lines.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">For such a critical part of the production
process, it is essential to use an effective sanitation method.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">With treatment times ranging from 4-8 hours
depending on the complexity, decontaminations can be implemented as part of
scheduled downtimes and occur at varying frequencies to provide greater
assurance that the product being conveyed is safe.</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">To
learn more about PC Line Decontamination, <a href="https://clordisys.com/webinars.php" target="_blank">join our webinar on August 19</a><sup><a href="https://clordisys.com/webinars.php" target="_blank">th</a></sup>.</span></div>
ClorDiSys Solutions, Inchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318190042059831330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508237720157994542.post-48311677588177786112021-07-22T11:54:00.003-04:002021-07-22T11:54:58.838-04:00Using UV-C for Routine Disinfection within the Life Science Industry<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3NopSx25cXI/YPmUw0Dp-NI/AAAAAAAAAcc/NDMF4p3zj7EGFbEW4NcfjxfyTzfVeZRjwCLcBGAsYHQ/s3096/Torch%2BUV-C.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3096" data-original-width="1015" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3NopSx25cXI/YPmUw0Dp-NI/AAAAAAAAAcc/NDMF4p3zj7EGFbEW4NcfjxfyTzfVeZRjwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Torch%2BUV-C.jpg" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">Ultraviolet light disinfection technology is commonly used
for the routine disinfection of rooms within the healthcare industry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is seen as a quick disinfection method for
prominent surfaces within patient rooms, ICU units, and surgical suites. This
same technology can be used within the life science industry to disinfect
animal holding rooms, procedure rooms, and necropsy rooms quickly on a routine
basis.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">UV light is capable of providing high-level disinfection of
viruses, bacteria, molds and spores.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>UV
light works faster the closer it is to the pathogen, as its strength
(intensity) is higher closer to the light source.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a dry, residue-free disinfection
process that is easy to perform and requires very little maintenance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>UV light does not penetrate well into cracks
and crevices, and it doesn’t reflect or bounce off surfaces in a meaningful
amount.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This leaves UV as a
line-of-sight disinfection method who’s use should be focused on common touch
points.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These locations are where contaminations
are traditionally transferred, making a routine disinfection of these surfaces
a worthwhile occurrence.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Within the life science industry, UV can be quickly and
easily used to help disinfect animal holding rooms, necropsy rooms, gowning
rooms, equipment passthroughs, procedure rooms and hallways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When using our <a href="https://clordisys.com/torch.php" target="_blank">Torch UV system</a>, visible surfaces
within an 8 ft radius can be disinfected in under 2 minutes, depending on the
organisms of concern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For more
information, read our <a href="https://clordisys.com/pdfs/misc/UV%20Data%20Sheet.pdf" target="_blank">UV Light Data Sheet</a> or contact us at 908-236-4100 to
learn more.<br /></p><p></p>ClorDiSys Solutions, Inchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318190042059831330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508237720157994542.post-81711171030233483942021-07-06T10:39:00.003-04:002021-07-06T10:42:07.307-04:00Comparing Ethylene Oxide and Chlorine Dioxide Gas for Medical Device Sterilization<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Chlorine dioxide (CD) gas
is now being used for the sterilization of medical devices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the past two years, extensive testing
has been done to learn more about its limits within the medical device sterilization
market.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the testing was done in
partnership with a leading medical device manufacturer who was looking at new
technologies which could replace Ethylene oxide (EO) for certain medical devices
types.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This testing pushed the
boundaries of what conditions CD gas was known to be effective within, and we’ll
be discussing that in our upcoming free webinar on July 15<sup>th</sup> that
you can sign up for by <a href="http://go.pardot.com/l/598241/2021-04-20/21vl36b" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Ethylene oxide first
began its tenure in medical device sterilization in the in the 1950’s. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>EO was favored due to a lack of sterilization
options for heat and moisture sensitive medical devices, gaining popularity due
to its ability to penetrate packaging materials and device lumens, its material
compatibility, as well as ease of use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However,
EO soon began facing challenges. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1987
Ethylene Oxide was determined to be a carcinogen by California.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the following years the National Institute
of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) studied more than 18,000 workers at
17 sterilization plants and concluded that EO causes breast cancer and
lymphomas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 2006, and after reviewing
NIOSH studies, the EPA released a draft of its review of EO and determined it
is a human carcinogen. Pressure peaked in 2018 with lawsuits stemming from
claims an Illinois plant’s EO emissions resulted in many incidents of cancer
throughout the community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This pressure
resulted in major facilities closing down and forcing added strain on others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This resulted in increased wait times and
overall fears from manufacturers as well as the FDA that the threat of a lack
of alternatives besides EO could mean critical medical supplies may not have a
mode of sterilization available to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9fOXfwUskGY/YORq52E7CBI/AAAAAAAAAcI/iM9ZJ-qd3fIP9NdXwAsZlGN_8Nsd-OAGwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DSC_3845.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9fOXfwUskGY/YORq52E7CBI/AAAAAAAAAcI/iM9ZJ-qd3fIP9NdXwAsZlGN_8Nsd-OAGwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/DSC_3845.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Overall, critical
disadvantages associated with EO are the lengthy cycle time, cost, and its
potential health dangers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another serious
issue is that EO can be explosive, creating a risk for sterilizing devices with
embedded batteries. EO’s overall risk profile prevents many medical device and
pharmaceutical companies from having in-house EO sterilization chambers due to
the complexity and safety complications EO sterilizers result in. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Chlorine dioxide gas is a
near identical replacement to ethylene oxide in terms of cycle structure and
effectiveness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chlorine dioxide is
non-carcinogenic, non-explosive, and cycles can be completed within one
chamber, allowing for a simpler sterilization process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gaseous chlorine dioxide is a
non-carcinogenic, EPA registered sterilant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Since it is a gas, the chlorine dioxide molecules will fill the entirety
of a space and reach all areas of a component while retaining high material
compatibility.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without the risk of
explosion, CD gas is able to sterilize devices containing embedded batteries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Recent testing proved its ability to
sterilize devices within packaging, which was thought to be prohibitive in the
past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The simplicity of the process also
allows firms to install and utilize in-house CD gas sterilizers which can help
expedite processes and reduce costs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
have recently registered as an FDA medical device contract sterilization
facility (FDA registration number 3013115071), allowing medical devices to be sterilized
at our facility before being returned or shipped out to their next location.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="http://go.pardot.com/l/598241/2021-04-20/21vl36b" target="_blank"><br />Join us on July 15 forour free webinar to learn more</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>ClorDiSys Solutions, Inchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318190042059831330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508237720157994542.post-35590067884701637032021-06-28T10:41:00.005-04:002021-06-28T10:41:47.194-04:00Decontaminating New/Used Equipment<p> <br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vyz72t-B6v8/YNneaYvbWmI/AAAAAAAAAbw/D0b2X8lDkiIaY4XTR10WJi13gyJz6KJgACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Decon%2BJan%2B27%2B2008%2B016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1532" height="201" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vyz72t-B6v8/YNneaYvbWmI/AAAAAAAAAbw/D0b2X8lDkiIaY4XTR10WJi13gyJz6KJgACLcBGAsYHQ/w150-h201/Decon%2BJan%2B27%2B2008%2B016.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>Facilities are routinely purchasing equipment for their
critical environments (laboratories, production rooms, filling rooms, animal
holding rooms, grow rooms, etc).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The equipment
can be purchased new directly from the manufacturer, or purchased used from a
third party.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hardly any new piece of equipment
is manufactured and delivered under sterile conditions, and most used equipment
does not come “certified clean”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This leaves
the facility in charge of ensuring that the equipment is clean and safe to be installed
in their critical environment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As it can
be extremely challenging for a facility to perform a complete decontamination
of equipment, we have been offering our services to decontaminate newly
purchased equipment at the delivery location using chlorine dioxide gas, a US
EPA registered sterilant proven capable of eliminating all viruses, bacteria, fungi
and spores.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Depending on the size of the equipment and its final
installed location, decontamination can take place prior to installation in a
container or plastic tent, or after installation by decontaminating the entire
room. Decontaminating the room after the
equipment has been installed eliminates the risk of recontamination as the
equipment is transferred into place, and allows for any pathogens disturbed by
the installation process to be treated.
This makes it the safest method, but it can be more challenging and more
expensive if the room the equipment is installed in is very large.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To learn more, please sign up for our <a href="https://clordisys.com/webinars.php" target="_blank">free, 30-minute webinar</a> on July 15<o:p></o:p></p>ClorDiSys Solutions, Inchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318190042059831330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508237720157994542.post-46379053479902110972021-06-21T11:08:00.002-04:002021-06-21T11:08:51.102-04:00CD vs VPHP: Distribution Comparison<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We have long discussed the factors to
an effective decontamination.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">They are:</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The ability of the process to eliminate the
target pathogen</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The ability of the decontaminating agent to
contact the pathogen</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The ability of the decontaminating agent to
accumulate enough contact time</span></li></ul><p></p><!--[if !supportLists]--><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 125%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Chlorine dioxide (CD) and hydrogen
peroxide are the two most common methods for room decontamination.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Their ability to consistently meet these
factors is where these methods contrast from one another.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">These differences stem from their chemical
properties, as hydrogen peroxide is a liquid at room temperature that is flash
vaporized at 228°F.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">This differs from
chlorine dioxide as it is a gas at room temperatures with a boiling point at
use concentration of -40°F.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Vapors do
not diffuse throughout a space as well as gasses, making it far more
challenging to achieve complete coverage of an area when using hydrogen
peroxide vapor.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 125%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Hydrogen peroxide manufacturers have
classified hydrogen peroxide as being “poor at passive diffusion.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Studies have shown it having difficulty going
around objects within a space, effectively creating “shadow areas” where
hydrogen peroxide is either not reaching, or is reaching at lower
concentrations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also suffers from
condensation as typically the environment being treated is below 228 F.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As such, the further hydrogen peroxide
travels, the cooler it will become.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
it cools, it will start to condense and become too heavy to stay afloat in the
air, limiting the distances it can effectively treat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chlorine dioxide being a true gas at room
temperatures will follow the gas laws which state that it will uniformly fill
up the environment that it is introduced into.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This means that the gas will reach all surfaces, and it will do so at an
even concentration.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 125%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Logic tells us that a decontaminating
agent will not be effective if it doesn’t come into contact with the pathogens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the target environment gets larger, or
more complex with equipment and items inside of it, hydrogen peroxide has a
great chance of failure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chlorine
dioxide however, is unaffected by temperature, size, shape, and how full an
environment is, maintaining its ability to distribute throughout the area and
contact pathogens on all surfaces throughout.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is why chlorine dioxide is able to be trusted for the toughest
applications.</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 125%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 125%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">To learn more, join our webinar this Thursday at 2pm Eastern by <a href="javascript:void( window.open( 'http://go.pardot.com/l/598241/2019-05-14/gxzgz5', 'blank', 'scrollbars=yes, toolbar=no, width=500, height=500' ) )" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 125%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></p>ClorDiSys Solutions, Inchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318190042059831330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508237720157994542.post-47369875564057937942021-06-07T09:36:00.005-04:002021-06-07T09:41:37.862-04:00Cannabis Decontamination Method Comparison<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">As Cannabis becomes a more mainstream industry, regulations will make cannabis production look more like
food production each year. Most commercial cannabis grown today undergoes some
form of decontamination to treat the industry’s problem of mold, yeast and
other microbial pathogens. The decontamination process is in place to ensure
that products meet a certain level of safety and quality. Like with produce,
some antimicrobial treatments may themselves be harmful to the health of
consumers and the integrity of the product itself. N<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">ot all remediation is created
equally, and sadly, no method is perfect.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-idOdmnZG3t8/YL4g1eYcq2I/AAAAAAAAAbM/MPJKyB1tI1YM1CplkXFDyB-NKBMPG3_ugCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/iStock-590158202.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1368" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-idOdmnZG3t8/YL4g1eYcq2I/AAAAAAAAAbM/MPJKyB1tI1YM1CplkXFDyB-NKBMPG3_ugCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/iStock-590158202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%;"><b>Autoclave</b><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%;">An autoclave
system uses heat and pressure to kill microbes. They are available in different
brands, configurations and sizes. This is an easy-to-use option, but it is time
consuming. However, because it utilizes moisture, it does increase the risk of
mold infestation. The final product may experience a change in color, taste and
smell. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%;"><b>Dry Heat</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%;">Placing
cannabis in dry heat is one of the cheapest methods, and it does not have any
mold or yeast infestation issues. It is important to note that this method
would most likely ruin product unless you plan to extract it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%;"><b>X-Ray</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%;">X-ray is a
highly effective form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation. X-ray
wavelengths are shorter than those of ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The cannabis
is placed in a lead-lined chamber that ensures the safety of the operator
during the decontamination process. X-rays are produced from an internal vacuum
tube once the lead lined chamber is sealed. The X-rays penetrate the cannabis
and kill the microbes. What you are decontaminating is limited to the size of
the chamber.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%;"><b>Ultraviolet
Light</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%;">Ultraviolet
light is a completely chemical-free way to combat molds and bacteria that
plague cannabis plants. UV-C is energy from light that has been used to
inactivate DNA-based contaminants since the 1850's. With UV-C technology, there
is no residual left behind as there are no chemicals involved. The cannabis
product is not altered by the exposure to UV light. Any exposed surface
contamination, such as molds, bacteria, and viruses, are significantly reduced,
if not eliminated entirely. While a quick and easy method, UV-C intensity does
drop off with distance, so it is difficult to scale up. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%;"><b>Gamma
Radiation</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%;">Gamma
irradiation involves exposing the target material to packets of light (photons)
that are so highly energetic (gamma rays) that they damage the DNA strands
present. It reduces microbial growth in plants without affecting potency.
However, it uses ionizing radiation that can create new chemical compounds not
present before, some of which can be cancer-causing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%;"><b>Radiofrequency</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%;">Radiofrequency,
or RF, uses radio waves to make water molecules within the product vibrate and
generate heat to kill microbes similar to how a microwave oven works. However,
because it is dependent on moisture, microbes in dry areas of the flower are
not effectively remediated, meaning dangerous microorganisms in these areas can
continue to grow and spread even after the product has passed testing measures.
Radiofrequency may also cause burns on the product, along with potential
negative effects to potency, look, smell and taste.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%;"><b>Ozone</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%;">Ozone gas is a highly reactive oxidizing molecule that destroys the microbes’ cell
wall, which enables the ozone to destroy all of the cell’s components: enzymes,
proteins, DNA, and RNA. It is a true gas which readily distributes. This method
greatly reduces the number of microbes but does not reduce the number to zero
necessarily, because it breaks down quickly. Ozone at too high of levels, or
levels that are not properly controlled, is dangerous to cannabis plants. At
too low of levels, it really doesn’t have much of an effect at all.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%;"><b>Hydrogen
Peroxide</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%;">Hydrogen
peroxide can be applied directly to the product, environment, and supplies
through spray, fogger, or submersion to kill microbial life. A mild dilution of
hydrogen peroxide and water is also an incredible insect repellent. Hydrogen
peroxide may oxidize the surface of the flower which can alter the look, smell,
taste and potency of the product. Also, vapors can condense, and the resulting
moisture can cause more mold spores to germinate. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%;"><b>Chlorine
Dioxide Gas</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%;">For a complete
kill of all potential organisms, EPA-registered chlorine dioxide gas is the
optimal way to fill an entire space evenly and completely, decontaminating
every surface, crack, or crevice with no residues or additional cleanup. This
treatment can be performed either in an enclosed chamber or easily scaled up to
rooms, even entire facilities, if there is a widespread outbreak. As an
oxidizer, at high use levels, chlorine dioxide gas can alter the look and taste
of the product.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%;">Read more
about these commonly used by reading our <a href="https://clordisys.com/pdfs/misc/Cannabis%20Decon%20Method%20Comparison.pdf">Cannabis Decon Method Comparison</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>ClorDiSys Solutions, Inchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318190042059831330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508237720157994542.post-45150324307600117072021-06-01T10:28:00.004-04:002021-06-01T10:29:56.474-04:00Annual Decontamination of Pharmaceutical Production Facilities<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br />Microbial contamination
can be a difficult challenge for all sectors of the pharmaceutical industry. The
presence of dangerous organisms in pharmaceutical facilities can lead to costly
product recalls, which result in loss of revenue, customers, and brand reputation.
By taking greater preventive measures, risk of microbial issues can be
minimized or eliminated. Measures such as annual preventive decontaminations
will help to eliminate the presence of any harmful organisms that would cause
such issues. Performing an annual “deep clean” of your facility by
decontaminating it with chlorine dioxide gas allows for a true reset to zero
pathogens.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iYwIo-If7Gs/YLZETjfVRYI/AAAAAAAAAbE/-I-L0rprq_g-B-srXtxkE7E1_H8raNr0wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Fotolia_47574226_Subscription_Monthly_XXL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1375" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iYwIo-If7Gs/YLZETjfVRYI/AAAAAAAAAbE/-I-L0rprq_g-B-srXtxkE7E1_H8raNr0wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Fotolia_47574226_Subscription_Monthly_XXL.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Chlorine dioxide gas provides
a sterilization level fumigation of any enclosed space with minimal equipment
and minimal downtime. True gases such as chlorine dioxide (CD) are the only
truly effective agents for the decontamination of buildings, rooms, isolators,
and biological safety cabinets as gases offer many benefits over other agents.
It fills the space it is contained within completely and evenly, ensuring that
no matter how large the target space is, no surface is left untouched including
crevices and harbor locations. Chlorine dioxide is safe on materials and leaves
no post treatment residuals. CD gas has successfully treated many
pharmaceutical facilities to eliminate viruses, bacteria, mold, and beta
lactams establishing sterility prior to production starting up as well as re-establishing
sterility between batches or studies.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Case Study: Annual Shutdown
Decontamination<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The Bausch + Lomb Vision Care production facility in Greenville, South Carolina manufactures
contact lens solutions in sterile processing areas within a clean environment. Each
year, the facility closes for planned maintenance shutdowns. Though necessary,
these shutdowns create unsterile environments because foreign equipment, tools,
and people enter the clean areas. Therefore, the environment must be cleaned
and disinfected before normal production resumes. Previously, this 300,000 ft<sup>3</sup> facility
underwent three cycles of detergent cleaning and water rinse followed by three
treatments with Spor-Klenz. This required over a dozen personnel with mops and
buckets over multiple shifts and a minimum of a week’s worth of time. The
process was costly (consumables alone cost approximately $100,000) and had
inherent failures in the process since it was a laborious manual process. The
facility switched to chlorine dioxide gas decontamination. The result was a decontamination
cost of under $100,000, a time savings cost of three days, and efficacy
improved to a complete 6-log sporidical kill.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">To learn more about the benefits of an annual decon, <a href="http://go.pardot.com/l/598241/2018-12-19/fky9qg" target="_blank">join our webinar on June 24 at 1pm Eastern</a>.</span></p>ClorDiSys Solutions, Inchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318190042059831330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508237720157994542.post-86022877775539464092021-05-24T09:51:00.008-04:002021-05-24T09:55:12.060-04:00Annual Decontamination of Food Processing and Manufacturing Facilities<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%;">Microbial
contamination of food production facilities continues to be a challenge for the
industry and can present a significant health hazard to human safety.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sanitation after a contamination is hugely
important, but preventive decontamination is equally significant and can reduce
positive swabs in the future. Many times, bacteria are able to survive simply
because of limitations of the cleaning method utilized by the sanitation
program. By taking greater preventive measures, risk of microbial issues can be
minimized or eliminated. Performing an annual “deep clean” of your facility by
decontaminating it with chlorine dioxide gas allows for a true reset to zero pathogens.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%;">In order for
any decontamination method to work, every organism must be contacted by the
agent, for the proper amount of time and at the correct concentration by an
agent effective against that organism. Common sanitation methods like steam,
isopropyl alcohol, peracetic acid, bleach and ozone have a limited ability to
reach all surfaces within a space, and some are incapable of killing all
microorganisms.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m4VdnuRoBlk/YKuvrJCWgyI/AAAAAAAAAa8/gz7LjlzENPw_ZHOLqsoxhoKVSAlQMo6gQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Fotolia_52369783_Subscription_Monthly_XL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m4VdnuRoBlk/YKuvrJCWgyI/AAAAAAAAAa8/gz7LjlzENPw_ZHOLqsoxhoKVSAlQMo6gQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Fotolia_52369783_Subscription_Monthly_XL.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%;">Failure to eliminate all pathogens
will result in recontamination over time as surviving pathogens have time to
multiply to large enough numbers where they can be transferred to other
locations in the facility and cause a more widespread contamination. These
recurring contaminations cost more money in the long run, especially if they
are discovered by FDA and USDA inspectors. Chlorine dioxide gas has been proven
to be a successful decontaminating agent capable of killing pathogens in areas
that other sanitation methods fail to reach. Effective in both dry and wet
conditions, chlorine dioxide gas has been used by the dairy, produce, meat,
grain, spice, frozen, and beverage industries.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%;">Preventive
decontamination is essential, and chlorine dioxide gas offers the process
advantages to reduce the risk of contamination and recall. An example of this
would be a </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">dairy powder processing
plant had been decontaminating their production environment with chlorine
dioxide gas annually for the past few years. Over this time, the facility made
improvements to its equipment and the building itself in order to mitigate some
of the issues that were uncovered after resetting the plant’s microbiome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In one instance, the facility was able to
trace a new contamination to a minor water leak into their plant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More recently, it was determined that the
environment was in much better control than in previous years as no pathogens
were found in the environment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With that
information, the ClorDiSys service team entered discussions with the facility
to amend the scope of the decontamination. Instead of treating the entire
production environment, the decontamination would focus on the tanks and piping
system up through to the packaging equipment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This strategy enabled the facility to save both time and money as the
treatment volume was dramatically reduced, while still acting as an annual
sterility marker.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">To learn more about the benefits of an annual decon, <a href="http://go.pardot.com/l/598241/2018-12-19/fky9qg" target="_blank">join our webinar on June 24 at 1pm Eastern</a>.</p>ClorDiSys Solutions, Inchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318190042059831330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508237720157994542.post-15873173055966573132021-05-17T11:02:00.001-04:002021-05-17T11:02:06.657-04:00Annual Decontamination of Life Sciences Facilities<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In laboratories, vivaria,
and research facilities, contamination control is critical. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Any contamination can affect the quality and
results of the research and work taking place within the facility.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Routine cleaning and sanitation take place,
but are aimed towards the most accessible areas such as floors, benchtops and
common touch points.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Performing an
annual “deep clean” of your facility by decontaminating it with chlorine
dioxide gas allows for a true reset to zero pathogens.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">By taking greater preventive measures, risk
of microbial issues can be minimized or eliminated. Measures such as annual preventive
decontaminations will help to eliminate the presence of any harmful organisms
that would cause such issues. Decontamination with chlorine dioxide gas offers
many benefits over other agents for such purposes.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AnGNxDLQXP0/YKKFDzJs4yI/AAAAAAAAAas/WyVX-RhBAekx-vP9FTQesBEOK0iNyHfOACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DSC03132.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AnGNxDLQXP0/YKKFDzJs4yI/AAAAAAAAAas/WyVX-RhBAekx-vP9FTQesBEOK0iNyHfOACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/DSC03132.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 125%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Chlorine dioxide gas
fumigation allows for the complete decontamination of a facility all at once
with minimal downtime. Gaseous chlorine dioxide is the safest and most
effective way to decontaminate BSL-3 and BSL-4 laboratories, passthroughs,
biological safety cabinets, HEPA housings, and any other lab spaces. Unlike
vapor or liquid based decontamination agents, chlorine dioxide will remain a
gas over a wide range of temperatures and pressures, and gases are unaffected
by room configuration and the amount or positioning of equipment. Our systems
provide the ability to achieve complete distribution and penetration to each
and every surface within your facility, including microscopic cracks and
crevices to deliver an extremely high level of biodecontamination, something
other agents such as vapors, mists, and fogs cannot promise. Our chlorine
dioxide is gentle on materials and leaves no post treatment residuals so animal
racks, cages, computers and other sensitive equipment can be left in these
areas during the decontamination process. Rooms and equipment can be
decontaminated all together in one single step thus eliminating the need for
time consuming and costly autoclaving.<br /><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 125%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Depending on the size,
facility decontamination can take place utilizing in-house <a href="https://clordisys.com/minidoxm.php" target="_blank">chlorine dioxide gas
generators</a></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 125%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> or through ClorDiSys’ <a href="https://clordisys.com/lifesciencesds.php" target="_blank">decontamination services</a></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 125%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">. ClorDiSys provides services for
routine or single-time events and specializes in contamination prevention and
response for new and existing facilities. Chlorine dioxide gas has successfully
treated many vivarium facilities to eliminate pathogens and <a href="https://clordisys.com/pdfs/articles/Pinworm%20Egg%20Inactivation%20JAALAS.pdf" target="_blank">pinworm eggs</a></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 125%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">, new facilities to establish sterility, as well as facilities
undergoing renovation. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 125%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Whether it is a
full room decontamination, or focused on separate equipment or components, routine
prevention methods like annual decontamination will minimize the risks of a
dangerous outbreak of pathogens by resetting your facility back to a true
sterile state.<span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">If you'd like to learn more, please join our <a href="javascript:void( window.open( 'http://go.pardot.com/l/598241/2018-12-19/fky9qg', 'blank', 'scrollbars=yes, toolbar=no, width=500, height=500' ) )" target="_blank">Resetting to Zero: The Benefits of an Annual Decon webinar</a> on June 24</p>ClorDiSys Solutions, Inchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318190042059831330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508237720157994542.post-33625218082136728272021-05-10T09:48:00.002-04:002021-05-10T09:52:14.402-04:00Annual Decontamination of Cannabis Facilities<p><br /> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A cannabis product may fail
contaminant testing if it has unsafe levels of microbials, heavy metals or
pesticides. Among microbials, the most common is powdery mildew mold,
aspergillus, or bile-tolerant, gram-negative bacteria. Each can have a
dangerous effect on human health, especially in medicinal users who are
immunocompromised. As testing regulations tighten over the cannabis industry,
the need for high-level, effective decontamination options has become
paramount. The heightened standards have seen approximately 20-30% of
recreational product failing their microbial tests. To prevent their product
from failing testing, companies need to maintain an optimum growing environment
for plants and plan </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">an annual decontamination to
remove any and all microbial life.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M2BItsN3L_A/YJk6bjRth9I/AAAAAAAAAaY/PWc7RbsBNNUVz5df0R-xaa7TKUSZxBQYwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/dreamstime_xxl_124436599.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M2BItsN3L_A/YJk6bjRth9I/AAAAAAAAAaY/PWc7RbsBNNUVz5df0R-xaa7TKUSZxBQYwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/dreamstime_xxl_124436599.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">When it comes to indoor grow
operations, decontamination is of particular importance. Many cultivators
struggle with mold and rot, never understanding the link between decontamination
and a healthy grow operation. Tidying up spilled dirt, wiping down containers,
and handwashing are basic sanitation measures. Decontamination goes beyond that.
It eliminates organic threats like mold spores, fungi, viruses, and bacteria. </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Spores
can spread and settle on many surfaces inside the grow room including lights,
bulbs, and hardware. A scheduled downtime every year, whether it is room by
room or the entire facility at once, offers the opportunity for complete
decontamination to ensure sterility of the space. Chlorine dioxide gas is the
optimal solution for any decontamination scenario as it is a gas at room
temperature, ensuring it will come in contact with every spore on every
surface, even the tiniest of cracks and crevices. Gaseous chlorine dioxide is
an EPA registered sterilant that can be utilized prior to any plants entering
the space to ensure any pre-existing microorganisms and their spores be
remediated. The chlorine dioxide gas decontamination process can be easily
scaled up to volumes of millions of cubic feet. Chlorine dioxide is also able
to be quickly aerated as it will not condense on surfaces or absorb into many
materials. ClorDiSys Solutions’ pure chlorine dioxide gas is one of the
gentlest decontaminating agents available and should not be considered in the
same as liquid chlorine dioxide products.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Most cannabis users rightfully assume
the products they buy from dispensaries are safe and free from harmful
pathogens. No matter whether decontamination is required by law, companies
should still ensure their product is clean for their consumers’ sake.
Scheduling an annual decontamination can provide that level of sterility
needed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>ClorDiSys Solutions, Inchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318190042059831330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508237720157994542.post-22378260831923688172021-05-03T10:32:00.001-04:002021-05-03T10:32:20.081-04:00Using the Flash-Thru as an Alternative to Spraying and Wiping<p> <span style="font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">In
the Pharmaceutical, Biotech, Life Science, and Medical Device industries,
companies need to produce product and perform research in areas with a high
level of sterility. To do so, product manufacturing and testing occurs in
expensive cleanrooms. </span><span style="font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">High amounts of
attention are given to maintaining the cleanroom environment and often require
personnel entering the cleanroom to undergo rigorous gowning procedures. </span><span style="font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">However, transporting in supplies &
equipment into the environment brings forth added challenges.</span><span style="font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Spraying and wiping items in order to
disinfect them is the method commonly used, however this method is unreliable
and inefficient.</span><span style="font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Unsuccessful
disinfection often occurs due to human error, insufficient chemicals used,
inappropriate dwell time, or any number of other factors.</span><span style="font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">When determining if a chemical agent is appropriate,
there are several varieties; sporicides, disinfectants, sanitizers, and antiseptics.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">All have very different intended uses and may
or may not be appropriate for the application in mind.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">If a chemical agent is chosen based on the
application it is intended for, then one has to consider the necessary dwell
time.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">To illustrate the importance of
dwell time, an example can be given of the extensive dwell time of bleach being
over ten hours on a surface.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Even if the proper contact time was achieved and
personnel feel as though they are doing a good job, the manual procedure of
spraying and wiping poses risk of not reaching all areas of an item that may
harbor organisms.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Areas are often not
considered, or not treated with appropriate attention which leaves
contamination still present.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aKjX5DGU9AI/YJAJF-YPX1I/AAAAAAAAAaM/19U0wd9zlfAWA1vtl0di8bo3NulRdZ77wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DSC_2722.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aKjX5DGU9AI/YJAJF-YPX1I/AAAAAAAAAaM/19U0wd9zlfAWA1vtl0di8bo3NulRdZ77wCLcBGAsYHQ/w320-h213/DSC_2722.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">However, another tool that can be used is
Ultraviolet light (UV-C).</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">The major
advantage to UV-C disinfection is the efficacy and the minimal time it takes to
achieve that level of kill.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">It is a
fast, simple to use method that is capable of providing a 99% reduction of
spores within minutes without chemicals.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">This allows for little concern over material side effects due to the
lack of dangerous residues needed to be wiped down or neutralized afterwards.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">UV-C kills everywhere that the light is
shining, meaning all exterior surfaces will achieve disinfection.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">The limiting factor is if objects are sitting
on a surface due to an inability to get 360 degrees of light exposure.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">However, materials such as a quartz glass
shelf placed within a UV-C chamber can alleviate that concern due to the
penetration capability quartz glass has in comparison to most other
materials.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">An example of a device that
complies with the needs of a cleanroom is the <a href="https://clordisys.com/flashthru.php" target="_blank">Flash-Thru</a> UV-C disinfection pass-through.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">The chamber is installed within a wall to
allow for items coming into the cleanroom to be disinfected immediately prior
to entry.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">From the non-sterile side, one
of the two UV-C protective doors is opened, then the user places the item(s) on
the quartz glass shelf, assuring not to stack items, then the start button is
pressed.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Depending on the target
organism, kill can be achieved even as little as 30 seconds.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Once the lights cease, the opposite door located
on the cleanroom side can be opened and the item can be retrieved.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">This method of disinfection is appropriate
for many applications, but especially electronics that are entering the space
because it is very gentle and will get successful kill on items that would
normally not be disinfected appropriately, or could be harmed with use of a
chemical agent.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Cellular phones, pagers,
tablets and computers are all examples of technology that would be pertinent to
treat in this manner.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Tw Cen MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><p></p>
<span style="font-family: "Tw Cen MT",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 125%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ydu0RM8yAKM/YJAI07FUfyI/AAAAAAAAAaE/fK9RUk7egzMjyB4QmKq_D1vkY68RVxtjwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DSC_2793.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ydu0RM8yAKM/YJAI07FUfyI/AAAAAAAAAaE/fK9RUk7egzMjyB4QmKq_D1vkY68RVxtjwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/DSC_2793.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>To better illustrate the
inefficacy of spraying and wiping surfaces alone, Animal Resources Centre in
Australia performed various tests to better realize the inadequacies spraying
and wiping resulted in. In the testing
below, organism colony counts were measured at three separate intervals. Initial swabbing prior to any cleaning,
secondary swabbing after spraying and wiping, followed by a final colony count
after ultraviolet light was used in the space.
Completing the traditional cleaning eliminated many organisms, however
many were still present. The addition of
ultraviolet light eliminated almost all remaining organisms that were still in
the environment. This experiment shows
that ultraviolet light technology has the capacity to reach many areas that are
often missed by humans, and can do so in a highly effective manner.</span>ClorDiSys Solutions, Inchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318190042059831330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508237720157994542.post-34147970425216386462021-04-26T09:27:00.001-04:002021-04-26T09:27:16.828-04:00Utilizing Ultraviolet Light Disinfection in the ICU, Operating Rooms, and Patient Rooms<p> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Contamination control in the healthcare industry is a
constant and prevalent problem. Hospital acquired infections (HAIs) have
increased 36% over the past two decades although these infections are often
preventable. Hospital settings do not provide an ideal situation for proper
cleaning. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">With many rooms having a short
turnaround time between patients, it is very difficult to contact every surface
in order to obtain a sufficient kill. One way for infection prevention and
control programs to perform a quick, high-level disinfection is through the use
of ultraviolet light. UV-C light provides a dry, chemical-free, and
residue-free method of disinfection effective against bacteria, viruses, fungi
and spores. Spores like C. diff, MRSA, and Multi Drug Resistant Organisms can
all be eliminated utilizing ultraviolet light. Additionally, UV-C has been
validated to deactivate the SARS-CoV-2 virus.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Adding in a 5-minute UV treatment at the end of the normal cleaning and
housekeeping routine can help reduce the risk of HAIs without a major change in
operations.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bzNSaR985AM/YIa_nCLSVlI/AAAAAAAAAVI/znB-E6nT1l0DERACQDg00LGtKHjPHdKcgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DSC_0654.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bzNSaR985AM/YIa_nCLSVlI/AAAAAAAAAVI/znB-E6nT1l0DERACQDg00LGtKHjPHdKcgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/DSC_0654.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 125%;">There are three main sources of contamination concern
within a hospital, the intensive care unit, operating rooms, and patient rooms.
Studies determined that the most common HAIs may survive on surfaces for months
and become a continuous source of transmission if not properly treated. Patient rooms can be quickly and efficiently disinfected
with ultraviolet light between patients, after a high-risk patient occupancy,
or periodically depending on the facility's needs. Surgical centers are
extremely vulnerable places for transmission of infection. Operating rooms can
be disinfected between surgeries or at the end of the day, depending on the
schedule and needs of the facility. Environmental
contamination may pose an even greater challenge in the ICU, where patients are
critically ill with a higher risk level for infection. The contamination
of surfaces in the ICU has been identified in outbreaks and cross-transmission
of pathogens among critically ill patients.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%;">Room disinfection systems like the <a href="https://clordisys.com/torch.php">Torch</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%;"> and <a href="https://clordisys.com/torch+.php" target="_blank">Torch+</a> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%;">can be placed inside the patient rooms and surgical suites,
killing any exposed harmful organisms after a few minutes. Find a space in the
ICU and NICU for tabletop chambers like the <a href="https://clordisys.com/flashbox.php" target="_blank">Flashbox</a> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%;">and <a href="https://clordisys.com/flashboxmini.php" target="_blank">Flashbox-mini</a> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%;">which can disinfect masks, shared supplies, electronics, badges, and
phones, some of the most contaminated things we encounter, in one minute or
less. Built-in UV-C light fixtures like the <a href="https://clordisys.com/flashbar.php" target="_blank">Flashbar</a> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%;">can also be implemented in the operating rooms over surgical
tables and patient rooms over the beds. This provides the easy option of turning
on the lights when the spaces are empty without needing to move extra equipment
into the room on a daily basis, if not multiple times per day. For continuous
air disinfection, The <a href="https://clordisys.com/torchairerecessed.php" target="_blank"><br />Torch-Aire Recessed</a> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 125%;">can be mounted in the ceiling safely operating throughout the
day, even with patients and staff in the room.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 125%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Ultraviolet light
disinfection provides a way for small items, as well as full rooms to be fully
disinfected in the matter of minutes. It provides a low cost, simple approach
to address areas often unable to be properly cleaned otherwise. ClorDiSys
Solutions’ suite of products is the fast, chemical-free, easy-to-operate, and
most effective way to disinfect your operating and patient rooms.</span>ClorDiSys Solutions, Inchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318190042059831330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508237720157994542.post-39846911656058340842021-04-19T10:44:00.004-04:002021-04-19T10:50:31.094-04:00Our Experience During COVID<p><br /> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nKE-8zvRuPk/YH2YplMGSMI/AAAAAAAAAU4/1vfzSSkG-wEHDpiLcc67EhVJOkMb0aQXACLcBGAsYHQ/s2751/IMG_5112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="2751" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nKE-8zvRuPk/YH2YplMGSMI/AAAAAAAAAU4/1vfzSSkG-wEHDpiLcc67EhVJOkMb0aQXACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_5112.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>ClorDiSys Solutions, Inc is coming up on our 20<sup>th</sup> anniversary at the end of this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve had a lot to be proud of, including simply lasting 20 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve worked at ClorDiSys since 2006, technically earlier as I helped out during college as my father and his partner started the business in my garage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have personally been proud of all that this company has achieved, including its growth to a company with a global reach, but more for its success in helping our clients keep their critical environments clean, allowing them to safely do their work feeding the world, developing cures for diseases, caring for their patients, and so much more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When COVID hit, we knew we were in a place to help. but none of us could have imagined just what was to come. As a contamination control company, we were used to helping companies in a time of crisis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Usually though, the emergencies were personal to that company, and they came to us 1-2 at a time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>COVID-19 affected everyone all at the same time.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I'll never forget the call I got from John Lowe of Nebraska Medicine. I had worked with him years before on a research project, which led to them beta-tested some of our UV systems and eventually using them during the ebola crisis of 2014 as their Biocontainment Unit treated and discharged all the patients that arrived. His phone call was pretty short, letting me know that they tested UV light as a method to disinfect N95 masks as the supplies were severely limited. Before I could comment on how awesome that sounded, he told me they were publishing that story in the New York Times. The next message was very clear, "get ready."</p><p class="MsoNormal">The next four months were a blur. We literally had to add phone lines to keep up with it all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We came together though, sometimes running through the office with two phones in our hands, other times creating new workflows to manage and meet demand on the fly, and always being empathetic to whoever called for help. At the time, it was stressful. Our team had to scramble to source components from new vendors to keep up with demand in a world where supply chains were tested and global shipping was severely hindered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were able to streamline our production, building equipment more efficiently than before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stayed late, testing equipment the same day it was built in order to ship it out faster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our team drove packages over to the shipping company at the end of the day after our daily pickup so our clients didn’t have to wait an extra day to receive their products. The Marine's have a slogan, "Adapt, Improvise, Overcome," and we borrowed that mission statement for the rest of the way to do our jobs so that others could do theirs. At a time when many businesses were forced to close, we were able to help out our communities by hiring workers to meet the swelling demand. At the peak, we doubled the size of the company, converting our office spaces into socially distant production spaces. The impact our team had went further than we ever imagined it could.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Our Disinfection Services Team was tapped to travel across the country to treat facilities shut down by the virus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a weird feeling being in an empty airport traveling during a pandemic to go into a building that its employees are banned from entering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People thanked us for doing our job, that was also a weird feeling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> T</span>here were a number of businesses where we provided a weekly high-level disinfection to reduce the risk of infection and increase employee comfort levels.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Our <a href="https://clordisys.com/lantern.php" target="_blank">Lantern UV systems</a> are being used by EMS, Police and Fire Departments across the country to disinfect their vehicles between uses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Many of our UV light systems were used to disinfect N95 masks according to the "Nebraska Protocol" in an effort to stretch stockpiles as supply dwindled globally. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Our <a href="https://clordisys.com/torch.php" target="_blank">Torch UV systems</a> were utilized in Mobile COVID-19 Testing Centers, routinely disinfecting them to reduce the risk of contamination between a positive patient and a negative patient.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We even placed a few of our Torches on television sets as production started back up.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Our <a href="https://clordisys.com/flashtunnel.php" target="_blank">Flash-Tunnel</a>, a UV disinfection tunnel, is being used to disinfect the COVID-19 vaccine packages coming off the production line.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Our <a href="https://clordisys.com/flashbox.php" target="_blank">Flashbox</a> and <a href="https://clordisys.com/flashboxmini.php" target="_blank">Flashbox-mini</a> UV chambers are helping to disinfect shared tools and items, including ID badges, thermometers, pens and more at security gates, visitor’s entrances, and other entry points.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Recently, our <a href="https://clordisys.com/deconservices.php" target="_blank">CD Gas Decon Team</a> performed a decontamination of a COVID-19 vaccine production facility, ensuring that it was free of pathogens prior to it going online.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">It has been great seeing our products and services help so many people in so many ways during this pandemic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has been far more fulfilling seeing our people step up to help out over the course of this past year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the time it was stressful, but looking back, its remarkable to know the positive impact that our team was able to provide to so many people in such difficult circumstances. None of us at ClorDiSys were ready for what the past year would bring, but the way our team handled itself has been what I’m most proud of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;">Kevin Lorcheim<o:p></o:p></p><p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;">Sr. Manager</p>ClorDiSys Solutions, Inchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318190042059831330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508237720157994542.post-27883558491770035972021-04-12T12:22:00.004-04:002021-04-12T12:23:01.032-04:00COVID-19 Vaccine Production Facility Decontamination<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W4rVl00_I70/YHRzoanpmdI/AAAAAAAAAPk/Np0z4qvfAGIYIEn9_a289nC2kqjCq_NywCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/vaccine-5926664_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W4rVl00_I70/YHRzoanpmdI/AAAAAAAAAPk/Np0z4qvfAGIYIEn9_a289nC2kqjCq_NywCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/vaccine-5926664_640.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, ClorDiSys has been proudly
helping essential businesses protect their workers and operations by providing
contamination control solutions. Recently, our Decontamination Services
team assisted a contract manufacturer prepare their facility for the production
and storage of COVID-19 vaccines. This facility had previously been used
in the production of a beta-lactam antibiotic, which offered the unfortunate
possibility of cross-contamination of the beta-lactam used. With anywhere
from 10-20% of the general population having some allergic reaction to
penicillin or other beta-lactams, the facility required a true complete
decontamination in order to guarantee the safe manufacture and storage of the
new vaccines. In order to mitigate this risk, it was decided to treat the
area using chlorine dioxide gas. Having been shown effective against a
variety of <a href="https://clordisys.com/betalactaminactivation.php" target="_blank">beta-lactams</a>,
chlorine dioxide gas presented a verified process of treating the entire
environment. In this case, the facility treated the environment after
removing all prior equipment and before the installation of the new equipment.
The decontamination took place over the course of two days, and the facility
was able to start installing equipment the next day. We have always been
proud of the work accomplished at ClorDiSys over the past twenty years and
assisting in the safe production of vaccines to end the COVID-19 pandemic ranks
pretty high up on our list of achievements. Look for our blog post next week for more info regarding how we've assisted during the COVID-19 pandemic.<br /><o:p></o:p><p></p>ClorDiSys Solutions, Inchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318190042059831330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508237720157994542.post-17510146811713278782021-04-05T08:45:00.001-04:002021-04-05T08:45:37.477-04:00<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When a cannabis grow room
is empty, that is the ideal time to implement a complete decontamination of the
space. <span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">A
complete removal of all microbial life including fungi, bacteria, spores, and
viruses requires a sterilization-level process. </span>A sterile environment
from the start, as well as only sterile items being introduced into that
environment, will help best assure lack of mold and other contaminants. A
sterilization at the end of every harvest is also good insurance no pathogens
will proliferate when the next crop starts.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B3W5ku8Qgfg/YGsGB-QYyuI/AAAAAAAAANc/xGr9jOw5HGgWlychAbXGmBAzYBnFjJYywCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/iStock-590158202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1368" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B3W5ku8Qgfg/YGsGB-QYyuI/AAAAAAAAANc/xGr9jOw5HGgWlychAbXGmBAzYBnFjJYywCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/iStock-590158202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Gaseous
chlorine dioxide (CD) is an EPA registered sterilant that can be utilized prior
to any plants enter the room to ensure any pre-existing mold spores or other
microbial contaminants be remediated. For a complete kill of all potential
organisms in the entire facility, chlorine dioxide gas is the optimal solution
as it is a gas as room temperature, filling the entire space evenly and
completely, decontaminating every surface, crack, or crevice with no residues
or additional cleanup. CD gas is non-carcinogenic, non-flammable, and safer on
materials than bleach, ozone, and hydrogen peroxide.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Ultraviolet
light (UV-C) is an easy way to achieve high-level disinfection to any exposed
surface in minutes. This chemical-free and residue-free disinfection method
will help reduce mold spores, therefore minimizing future risk of exposure to
the cannabis plant. This is best utilized in a completely clear space to ensure
maximum exposure to the UV-C light. Ultraviolet light disinfection is a fast,
simple to use method, capable of providing a 99% reduction of spores within
minutes without any dangerous residues to be wiped down or neutralized
afterwards.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 125%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Controlling
mold and other microbial contaminants is essential to any operation as it is a
strong threat to cannabis. Before plants enter the grow room, whether it is a
new facility or at the end of harvest, measures should be taken to ensure no dangerous
organisms are present that can result in wreaking havoc on the new crop. <a href="https://clordisys.com/pdfs/misc/Decontamination%20of%20Empty%20Cannabis%20Grow%20Rooms.pdf">Read more</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 125%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> about ultraviolet light
disinfection and chlorine dioxide decontamination technologies providing
efficient kill of molds and spores as well as other common bacteria and
viruses.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 125%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>ClorDiSys Solutions, Inchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10318190042059831330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508237720157994542.post-2348094750399443762021-03-29T09:34:00.005-04:002021-03-29T10:12:34.219-04:00Disinfecting Air with UV-C vs. Filtering Air with HEPA Filters<p>With the ongoing pandemic continuing to affect the world we live in, more people are trying to improve the indoor air quality of their homes and businesses. HEPA filters and ultraviolet light are two common methods of air purifying. While both of them have the same goal of improving indoor air quality, the technology behind them is quite different and the type of air pollutants they can remove differ. No air purifier is perfect and without flaws. Both HEPA filters and UV-C light air purifiers come with their own set of benefits and disadvantages.</p><p></p><p>A HEPA filter is a “high-efficiency particulate air” filter made up of strands of randomly aligned synthetic fibers or glass. HEPA filters have been used by hospitals and in research environments for a long time. They are designed to trap particles that can come from pollen, pet allergens, viruses, mold and bacteria. The standard for HEPA filters is based on the (MPPS) most penetrating particle size of 0.3 microns. In order for a filter to be designated as a HEPA filter, it must meet international standards (ISO) to remove 99.95% of particles. In the United States, the standard is removal of 99.97% of particles. One important thing to remember about HEPA filters is that particles like viruses and bacteria are only trapped by the filter. If you do not replace them, then the air cleaning effectiveness goes down, and unclean filters can become a hotspot for dangerous pathogens. For this reason, it is recommended that proper PPE be used when replacing the filters. </p><p></p><p>Traditional sanitation procedures typically do not include Air Handling Units or their accompanying ductwork. Formaldehyde used to be the most prevalent decontamination method used to attain a 6-log sporicidal kill of HEPA housings. This method was effective, but the process typically took over 12 hours and held considerable safety concerns, as formaldehyde is a carcinogen known to leave residues. When decontaminating with <a href="https://clordisys.com/whatcd.php" target="_blank">chlorine dioxide gas</a>, it is often times very easy to include the ductwork and air handling system (even HEPA housings) in the scope of the project. CD gas penetrates through HEPA filters as if they are not there, and being a dry gas, it is able to navigate the bends of the ductwork system without condensing and getting "stuck."</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oqrfGtxiunQ/YGHWtifVIGI/AAAAAAAAANI/JT63aXHhDSk2Q51ZzLwzTipMeKnugp_aQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1214/4%2Bbulb%2Bairglow.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1214" data-original-width="977" height="247" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oqrfGtxiunQ/YGHWtifVIGI/AAAAAAAAANI/JT63aXHhDSk2Q51ZzLwzTipMeKnugp_aQCLcBGAsYHQ/w199-h247/4%2Bbulb%2Bairglow.jpg" width="199" /></a></div>Ultraviolet light air purifiers remove harmful pathogens from the air by actually destroying viruses and bacteria, not just capturing them. When a micro-organism is exposed to UV-C, the nuclei of the cells are altered due to photolytic processes. This process prevents further replication and causes cell death. The <a href="https://clordisys.com/airglow.php" target="_blank">AirGlow</a> is an in-duct ultraviolet light disinfection system that can be installed in any HVAC system. The AirGlow reduces and/or eliminates the growth of bacteria, mold and spores. It can also prevent the spread of airborne transmitted diseases including the flu and SARS-CoV-2 virus. As air passes by the quartz glass bulbs of the AirGlow, the travelling air is disinfected, and harmful organisms that may have been present are killed. To improve energy efficiency, the AirGlow can be positioned parallel to the cooling coils. When used on cooling coils, the Airglow is used to reduce biofilms that can accumulate on the coils. Clean coils can deliver a 30% increase in cooling capacity which in turn reduces energy consumption and costs.<p></p><p>HEPA filters clean the air with the use of filters located inside the air purifier. As polluted air passes through the device, HEPA filters capture many of these harmful pollutants and keep them trapped inside. HEPA housings should be decontaminated prior to filter changeout. Alternatively, ultraviolet light air purifiers use certain UV wavelengths to literally destroy airborne pathogens. Both of these devices ultimately share a common goal – clean indoor air – but one does not necessarily substitute the other.</p><div><br /></div>Erika Stampouloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02281352085434556473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508237720157994542.post-83251712413246755992021-03-22T10:35:00.001-04:002021-03-22T10:35:13.952-04:00Maintaining High Level Contamination Control with Passthrough Chambers<div>A clean room is only as clean as the items (and people) who enter it. Autoclaves are utilized to sterilize some supplies and materials entering an aseptic area, but not all materials are compatible with a steam sterilization process. Electronics and other materials that are incompatible with either high heat or moisture cannot be processed within an autoclave. Those materials are typically wiped down with a liquid disinfectant, which ultimately offers a lower kill level and a potential for human error not wiping all surfaces properly. The risk is greater for more complicated instruments where wiping hard-to-reach surfaces is impossible, such as the internals of a laptop computer. Over the past 20 years, we’ve been working to identify and offer solutions to some of the gaps we find when working in barrier facilities. Eliminating the risk of human error through the use of touchless pass-through chambers utilizing either chlorine dioxide gas or ultraviolet light is one such solution.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>CD Gas Passthrough Chambers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aaoTs9Cgy5U/YFipe8GIHpI/AAAAAAAAAyY/j7knqK9xKx03kpbrxIu3YNPtd5DLp-VQgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1500/image1%2Bcropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1088" data-original-width="1500" height="192" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aaoTs9Cgy5U/YFipe8GIHpI/AAAAAAAAAyY/j7knqK9xKx03kpbrxIu3YNPtd5DLp-VQgCLcBGAsYHQ/w265-h192/image1%2Bcropped.jpg" width="265" /></a></div></b></div><div>As an EPA registered sterilant, chlorine dioxide gas can be used to ensure that items entering your facility are completely free of pathogens and unwanted organisms. Chlorine dioxide gas passthrough chambers can be utilized to decontaminate (or sterilize) items entering a barrier. We’ve worked with Rack Washer manufacturers within the Life Science industry for over 15 years collaborating on <a href="https://clordisys.com/deconchamber.php" target="_blank">Chlorine Dioxide Gas Decontamination Chambers</a> as well as custom sized <a href="https://clordisys.com/cdpassthrough.php" target="_blank">CD Gas Passthrough Chambers</a>. Both chambers are designed for the quick and easy decontamination of items within any governmental, pharmaceutical, laboratory, research or surgical setting. Passthrough chambers can be easily integrated into a new cleanroom design or installed into an existing cleanroom. It is used in conjunction with a chlorine dioxide gas generator to provide a rapid, fully automated, and highly effective method to sterilize computers, electronics, medical devices, sterile products, instruments, and components at ambient temperatures. It also provides a cost-effective method to decontaminate components, parts, supplies, and equipment entering a “sterile” or “clean” facility at room temperatures and without the need for an expensive, space consuming, energy consuming sterilizer. Passthrough chambers can also be used when removing items from a dirty or BSL level area to a clean area without the concern for cross contaminations.</div><div><br /></div><div>The chlorine dioxide gas generator combined with a passthrough chamber features a sophisticated sterilant concentration monitoring system to ensure a tightly controlled sterilization process. All instrumentation, including the photometer for concentration monitoring, is easily calibrated to traceable standards. The process is easy to validate due to the repeatable cycle, tight process control, and highly accurate sterilant monitoring system. A run record is produced that contains: date, cycle time, as well as relative humidity, temperature, pressure, and chlorine dioxide concentration. The equipment is available in a variety of sizes to meet your processing needs and can be manufactured with either a single door or double door pass-through orientation. A door interlock system is also available.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HA0NlIph1s4/YFipRqX7EuI/AAAAAAAAAyQ/mE5T98lK89ANGTfcAY64Hkk5Ooz5gdVtACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DSC_2717.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="191" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HA0NlIph1s4/YFipRqX7EuI/AAAAAAAAAyQ/mE5T98lK89ANGTfcAY64Hkk5Ooz5gdVtACLcBGAsYHQ/w287-h191/DSC_2717.jpg" width="287" /></a></div>UV-C Passthrough Chamber</b></div><div>There are also <a href="https://clordisys.com/flashthru.php" target="_blank">UV-C passthrough chambers</a> to disinfect small electronics, tools, components, and other liquid sensitive items entering a barrier facility or clean room. The Flash-Thru Chamber allows for the quick disinfection of items entering a sterile area using ultraviolet light. This chemical and liquid free system allows for the quick disinfection of tools and equipment quickly and efficiently treated upon reception and brought into the barrier. The Flash-Thru utilizes standard 110-240V electricity and supplies a UV-C dosage sufficient for achieving a 99% reduction of most viruses and bacteria within one minute. High-output UV-C bulbs last up to 16,000 hours. Their placement throughout the chamber interior, along with quartz glass shelving, ensures proper coverage of all items passing through to be fully disinfected.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Bringing equipment, tools, and supplies into a barrier facility is a potential pathway for pathogens to enter clean rooms. To learn more about pass-through chambers which can help eliminate dangerous organisms and preserve the sterility of your facility, visit our <a href="https://clordisys.com/products.php" target="_blank">Products page</a> and contact us to determine which option is best suited for your needs.</div>Erika Stampouloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02281352085434556473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508237720157994542.post-71036030838067098302021-03-15T14:21:00.002-04:002021-03-15T14:21:38.061-04:00Decontamination of HEPA Housings<p>HEPA housings can undergo a decontamination process for multiple reasons. Most frequently, HEPA housings are decontaminated prior to filter changeout. They can also be decontaminated as part of a yearly routine or during construction/renovation. HEPA housings can be on the supply or exhaust side of an HVAC system for a facility. On the supply side, they are purifying the incoming air to maintain sterility for a clean facility. On the exhaust side, they are purifying the air exhausting a facility that works with biologically hazardous organisms to prevent their escape. </p><p>Formaldehyde used to be the most prevalent decontamination method used to attain a 6-log sporicidal kill. This method was effective, but the process typically took over 12 hours and held considerable safety concerns. Formaldehyde is a carcinogen known to leave residues behind. Both of these attributes are concerning, especially if a HEPA housing is on the supply side of the room.</p><p>Hydrogen peroxide vapor is another decontamination method utilized for HEPA housing decontamination. Due to adsorption issues into the HEPA filter itself, aerating HEPA housings can take considerably longer and typically lasts overnight. Adsorption into the filter material can cause uneven concentration amounts on either side of the filter too, potentially limiting the success of the decontamination.</p><p>Chlorine dioxide has become a more optimal decontamination method, especially when considering HEPA housings. Chlorine dioxide gas works faster, with overall cycle times between 1.5-3 hours. Part of this is because chlorine dioxide does not leave a residue and the aeration time is shorter. For exhaust HEPA housings, aeration is accomplished by simply turning on the exhaust blower and opening the “infeed” and “exhaust” dampers on a HEPA housing. This method aerates a HEPA housing in under a minute. For supply HEPA housings, this is accomplished by using a carbon scrubber to break down the CD gas. This method aerates a HEPA housing in under an hour.</p><p>To read more about decontaminating HEPA housings, please <a href="https://clordisys.com/pdfs/misc/HEPA%20Housing%20Decontamination.pdf" target="_blank">click here</a>.</p><p><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lUHDMM_WEKo/YE-lNnnIYDI/AAAAAAAAAxE/hrFUy5h29yY5x19Lq59BFv95lfn6MDSjgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/CIMG4161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1361" height="271" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lUHDMM_WEKo/YE-lNnnIYDI/AAAAAAAAAxE/hrFUy5h29yY5x19Lq59BFv95lfn6MDSjgCLcBGAsYHQ/w181-h271/CIMG4161.JPG" width="181" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kghPrFzCgx8/YE-k-fp-nXI/AAAAAAAAAw8/UL1zFNg4i1ci8Orlfp4o1lzDN_Mi8T8-ACLcBGAsYHQ/s997/hepa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="748" data-original-width="997" height="270" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kghPrFzCgx8/YE-k-fp-nXI/AAAAAAAAAw8/UL1zFNg4i1ci8Orlfp4o1lzDN_Mi8T8-ACLcBGAsYHQ/w360-h270/hepa.jpg" width="360" /></a></p>Erika Stampouloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02281352085434556473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508237720157994542.post-351341044643481662021-03-08T09:20:00.000-05:002021-03-08T09:20:09.603-05:00The Importance of Clean Breaks in Production<p>Scheduled production downtime is often perceived as a loss of profit. In actuality, fewer machine breakdowns mean a more efficient operation, and scheduled downtime for sanitation provides a “clean break.” By definition, a clean break is a production break that involves a documented, verified, and validated cleaning and sanitation process to ensure sterility upon completion. In practice, a clean break is a damage limiting event that defines the maximum quantity that could be recalled in case of a contamination. It assures microbial contamination cannot overlap from one production run to another. Financially, a clean break is like an insurance policy, money spent on something you hope gives you no return on investment. Emotionally, a clean break is peace-of-mind.</p><p>Clean breaks are an important component of an effective traceability program. If a recall were to occur, it will include all product that was packed from the last full cleaning and sanitizing event forward. The product that is processed between clean breaks is called a lot. The more frequently clean breaks are established, the smaller the lot. If a facility’s clean break cannot be defended during a recall, then as far as an investigator is concerned, that company did not have one. When that happens, the recall will only grow. In October 2018, McCain Foods recalled 63 different products back to a shipped date of January 1, 2016 because they did not have a more recent clean break.</p><p>If contamination is detected, the question of how far back to recall can be painstaking, especially if the decontamination process utilized is not 100% effective. Typical cleaning and sanitization methods can have difficulty guaranteeing that all organisms have been contacted or contacted with the proper effective dosage. Therefore, these techniques may not eliminate all of the organisms, leaving some to reproduce. Modern fumigation methods, such as use of gaseous chlorine dioxide, can completely eliminate all of the organisms and thereby “reset” a facility. Chlorine dioxide gas is able to achieve a complete 6-log sporicidal decontamination of all surfaces within a space, including hard-to-reach areas such as cracks and crevices, because it is a true gas above -40 degrees and its molecule size is smaller than the smallest virus. Once the gas has been removed, the area is safe and does not require additional cleanup. </p><p>Similar to a firebreak in a forest, a clean break provides companies with that line of safety. The strategic use of preventive scheduled downtime leads to a safer, more reliable, more efficient operation. By using chlorine dioxide gas routinely for decontaminating a facility before an issue arises, the chance of a contamination and/or a recall declines drastically, potentially saving money, disruptions to business, and perhaps lives. ClorDiSys’ decontamination method and approach to process control has enabled us to be trusted to keep critical environments safe, including most major pharmaceutical companies and 31 of the Top 100 food manufacturers. If you would like to learn more about <a href="https://clordisys.com/pdfs/misc/Establishing%20a%20Clean%20Break.pdf" target="_blank">clean breaks</a>, how to establish the scope of a project, or our decontamination services in general, please contact us at <a href="mailto:sales@clordisys.com">sales@clordisys.com</a> or complete <a href="http://go.pardot.com/l/598241/2019-01-25/fwssls" target="_blank">this form</a>.</p>Erika Stampouloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02281352085434556473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508237720157994542.post-46446610629210508092021-03-01T10:52:00.001-05:002021-03-01T10:52:25.139-05:00From Seed to Storage: Sources of Contamination in Cannabis<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y-4eTAN-1-Q/YDz5-TJXbQI/AAAAAAAAAwU/-QveY9x-dRERsfTh6dZjg5fPDCw1UGFXgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/iStock-831452848.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y-4eTAN-1-Q/YDz5-TJXbQI/AAAAAAAAAwU/-QveY9x-dRERsfTh6dZjg5fPDCw1UGFXgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/iStock-831452848.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Unless cannabis is grown in a clean room with appropriate air filtration and other good laboratory practices, it is inevitable that contaminants will be found on cannabis flowers and products made with them. Many cultivators are discovering that contamination is a huge risk no matter how careful they are. The most common types of contamination are microbial but also include pesticides, heavy metals, and residual solvents. Contamination can happen during the cultivation, harvesting, drying and curing, or extraction processes. Cannabis plants and products can pick up molds or bacteria while growing (particularly if grown outdoors or in an unsanitary indoor environment) or during subsequent handling and processing. Cannabis is often exposed to contaminants when held in long-term storage. There are multiple ways cannabis can become contaminated from employees to supplies to environmental factors that are outside of your control. The best way to avoid an issue is by being aware of how cannabis can be contaminated in the first place.<br /><p></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>EMPLOYEES </b>Handling cannabis improperly is one of the most common ways to contaminate it. Handwashing is the most basic and effective strategy to prevent cross contamination at your farm or facility. Employees should wear clean scrubs and face masks when handing the flower, especially during post-harvest processing. Gloves should also be worn and changed every time they come into contact with something other than the plant. Ensure your staff stays informed and follows best practices is ultimately the best line of defense.<br /><br /></li><li><b>EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES </b>There are a lot of tools that are used to grow and process cannabis, such as buckets, scales, and scissors. Make sure that there are supplies for each room and that these supplies aren’t being transferred from one area to another, which can increase the possibility of cross-contamination. Unsanitized equipment and supplies can easily cause contaminants in the form of mold, bacteria and even heavy metals from old equipment. If your machinery is contaminated with spores, you can easily cross contaminate your crop during any phase of the harvest process. This can either destroy your crop or become a major health threat if your final product is compromised. Establish equipment, surfaces and storage cleaning protocols using effective methods to eliminate pathogens.<br /><br /></li><li><b>HARVEST AND POST-HARVEST </b>A large percentage of mold begins after harvest as a result of poor air quality and high moisture levels. This situation becomes a prime time for the plant to become contaminated with mold. Mold can grow on almost any substance where moisture is present, and it reproduces by spores that can easily travel through the air with the right gust of wind and attach to your skin or plants. Extra care must be taken to ensure that–during drying and curing–temperature, humidity, and air circulation are being controlled. Later after the drying phase, you will also want to confirm that your final product is safe by testing for mold, mildew and other microbial pathogens.<br /><br /></li><li><b>ENVIRONMENTAL </b>A lot of cultivation facilities are in areas that do not have the best environments for growing cannabis. Between indoor and outdoor, each type of grow has its pros and cons. Indoor cannabis growers can potentially control the room's temperature, humidity, light intensity, and CO2 levels to achieve idyllic growth rates and conditions. The right combination of moisture, temperature, humidity, and light can help accelerate the growth of both cannabis and its pests. If contaminants or toxins enter one of your grow rooms, it may be difficult to detect and eliminate. Because fungal spores are extremely small, they can eventually get into a facility through the HVAC system. If growing indoors, you must completely sanitize your space to kill all microbes before you start. While this will prevent most issues, unfortunately traditional cleaning methods may not prevent all airborne spores that exist in small cracks, for example. You must also make sure there is always proper ventilation. <br /><br />Growing cannabis outdoors is the most natural and least expensive way. Plants grown outdoors with natural sunlight will grow to their full genetic potential and will have a full and natural terpene profile. Much less energy is required (no lights, no cooling/heating) and nutrients can be regenerated and recycled. However, plants grown outdoors are exposed to all of the elements, all the time. This includes the environment, weather, pests and animals, which can have a very big effect on the final product. For growing outdoors, it is common for cannabis producers to use pesticides and insecticides on their plants. Unfortunately, these pesticides can go on to create issues themselves if they are not thoroughly removed from the plant matter during processing as many fungicides and insecticides can be harmful to human health. Although pesticides are one way to control contamination, they’re not a perfect solution, and every state treats them differently.</li></ol><p></p><p>As the legalization and medicinal utilization of cannabis increases around the world, so does the potential threat of contaminants making their way to consumers. Policing the quality and safety of cannabis products is far from straightforward. At the federal level in the United States, cannabis is still considered an illegal drug, so states have to determine on their own how to protect millions of cannabis users. The result is an uncertain and occasionally incoherent regulatory landscape with no consensus. Cannabis cultivators are familiar with the challenges faced as contaminants pose a potential threat to their consumers. By learning about the sources of contamination as well as prevention and remediation options, growers can more confidently face testing and consistently provide a safe product.</p><p><b>For further reading on this topic and references, read the <a href="https://clordisys.com/pdfs/misc/Sources%20of%20Cannabis%20Contamination.pdf" target="_blank">Common Sources of Contamination in Cannabis Application Note</a>. Visit the <a href="https://clordisys.com/cannabisapp.php" target="_blank">Cannabis Applications page</a> to learn more about the benefits of utilizing chlorine dioxide gas and ultraviolet light for microbial decontamination and mold remediation.</b></p>Erika Stampouloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02281352085434556473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508237720157994542.post-44087947489938159282021-02-22T09:40:00.005-05:002021-02-22T09:40:59.756-05:00FDA-Approved Contract Sterilization of Medical Devices<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xmC5znB2BGw/YC6Vb8VYT_I/AAAAAAAAAvs/nmzuzbuffiEprOpBxSvycxNjQIStMhIwwCLcBGAsYHQ/s350/md2.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="233" data-original-width="350" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xmC5znB2BGw/YC6Vb8VYT_I/AAAAAAAAAvs/nmzuzbuffiEprOpBxSvycxNjQIStMhIwwCLcBGAsYHQ/w301-h200/md2.jpeg" width="301" /></a></div>ClorDiSys Solutions, Inc is recently approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for contract sterilization of medical devices using our chlorine dioxide gas process (registration # 3013115071). The ability for chlorine dioxide gas sterilization to be used in such a way is a tremendous advancement for the industry. Ethylene oxide (EtO) has typically been the industry standard for medical device sterilization, especially in terms of contract sterilization. However, for years, there has been a concern over EtO’s harmful environmental and health impact, as well as its overall volatility that prevents certain items like embedded batteries to be decontaminated. In fact, in 2019, EtO contract sterilizer firms in Illinois were shut down over health concerns due to harmful emissions, an issue that rose in magnitude after five women claimed that working at the plant led to their cancer diagnosis. Although these plants are dangerous, officials warned that shutting them down could lead to medical device shortages. This dilemma stresses the need for alternative medical device sterilization options to become more prevalent in the industry. Chlorine dioxide gas is a direct replacement for EtO, without the negative aspects that ethylene oxide is known to have. Chlorine dioxide is a non-carcinogenic residue free gas that is a registered sterilant by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Its non-explosive behavior allows for items with sensitive components, such as embedded batteries, to be safely and effectively sterilized. With no need for capital expense or additional in-house labor, contract sterilization services from ClorDiSys provide an affordable option for medical device manufacturers. The devices can be initially sent to ClorDiSys so a cycle can be validated, and any necessary regulatory actions can be pursued. Then, on an as needed or pre-scheduled basis, the device manufacturer can ship items for sterilization following their customized protocol. Overall, contract sterilization provides a low-risk and low-cost option that ensures effective results with greater ease and peace of mind.<br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">Learn more about ClorDiSys Contract Sterilization services <a href="https://clordisys.com/meddevcontractsterilization.php" target="_blank">here</a>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E8YgP06FJqc/YC6VTEKNp3I/AAAAAAAAAvo/OXCZnDjUcN0y0TLMus6F2SVr0xgCw-erwCLcBGAsYHQ/s545/Contract%2BSterilization%2BApplications.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="545" height="243" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E8YgP06FJqc/YC6VTEKNp3I/AAAAAAAAAvo/OXCZnDjUcN0y0TLMus6F2SVr0xgCw-erwCLcBGAsYHQ/w378-h243/Contract%2BSterilization%2BApplications.png" width="378" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://go.pardot.com/l/598241/2018-10-16/dkqr42" target="_blank">Contact us</a> for more information on any of the listed applications or to explore additional applications not listed. Specific testing with your device is always recommended.</p>Erika Stampouloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02281352085434556473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508237720157994542.post-1111201335241789192021-02-15T09:04:00.002-05:002021-02-17T08:50:37.110-05:00What is Contract Sterilization?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XaGZSdwueHk/YCp-6zU_cZI/AAAAAAAAAvE/wk0H3LtuD34958ZtmUPo9wklFSTgQ7b2gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_0856%2Bcropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1705" data-original-width="2048" height="166" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XaGZSdwueHk/YCp-6zU_cZI/AAAAAAAAAvE/wk0H3LtuD34958ZtmUPo9wklFSTgQ7b2gCLcBGAsYHQ/w200-h166/IMG_0856%2Bcropped.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>ClorDiSys Solutions has decades of microbial remediation expertise and offers Contract Sterilization Services to a wide variety of industries. There are two basic types. One is where we sterilize FDA regulated 510K Medical Devices in our FDA registered facility. If you’re interested in learning more about that, please come back for next week’s blog where we discuss that topic. The other is when we decontaminate your devices, equipment, supplies, and products at our facility, then ship them back to you or onward to a third party like a customer. ClorDiSys utilizes chlorine dioxide gas for sterilization instead of other commonly used gamma irradiation, ethylene oxide gas, steam, or electron beam methods. Our chlorine dioxide gas is a US EPA registered sterilant capable of killing all viruses, bacteria, fungi, and spores. It is also effective against beta lactams such as Penicillins, Cephalosporins, and Carbapenums as well as amplicons and pinworm eggs. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9jX3NwQWiBo/YCp-7cc2LiI/AAAAAAAAAvI/P3t5UBT1jD0axFLhL6z7p4XHffAeHBzhACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20180404_100715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="287" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9jX3NwQWiBo/YCp-7cc2LiI/AAAAAAAAAvI/P3t5UBT1jD0axFLhL6z7p4XHffAeHBzhACLcBGAsYHQ/w215-h287/20180404_100715.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>When outsourcing sterilization of components, supplies, medical devices, and equipment, consider your current needs as well as plans for future growth. The outsourcing of sterilization provides convenience, efficiency, and initial cost savings (dependent on size and frequency). ClorDiSys decontaminates a wide assortment of products within the multiple decontamination chambers at our New Jersey facility to fit whatever size items required. Customers can choose to single or double wrap items in Tyvek and may include biological indicators as well. Biological Indicators (BIs) are used to challenge the efficacy of a decontamination/sterilization cycle. Turnaround time is traditionally 24 hours, with items typically being shipped back the day after they arrive. In some cases, turnaround time can be hours, with the items arriving, being treated, and shipped on the same day. Upon completion, you will be issued a <a href="https://clordisys.com/pdfs/misc/Contract%20Decontamination%20Completion%20Form.pdf" target="_blank">Contract Decontamination Certification Sheet</a> describing the process and showing the sterilization cycle data.<p></p><p>Learn more about ClorDiSys Solutions’ Contract Sterilization Services <b><a href="https://clordisys.com/contractsterilization.php" target="_blank">here</a></b>, and contact us for a free consultation.</p>Erika Stampouloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02281352085434556473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508237720157994542.post-40870388904105269012021-01-25T12:57:00.002-05:002021-01-25T12:58:09.208-05:00How One Hospital Uses UV-C Light for Highly Effective Disinfection of Critical Areas<p>Hospital acquired infections (HAIs) and dangerous pathogenic contamination in the healthcare industry is a constant and prevalent problem. Now, add the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic to the mix of infection prevention and contamination control concerns, and hospitals have a lot to manage daily. Watch how New Jersey's leading academic health system is utilizing a variety of ultraviolet light products for the disinfection of their facilities' most critical areas and equipment.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="410" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/axennqAW0G8" width="493" youtube-src-id="axennqAW0G8"></iframe></div><p>Ultraviolet light products featured in the video (in order of appearance):</p><p><a href="https://clordisys.com/flashbar.php" target="_blank">Flashbar</a> Mounted UV-C Light Fixture</p><p><a href="https://clordisys.com/torch+.php" target="_blank">Torch+</a> UV-C Disinfection Tower</p><p><a href="https://clordisys.com/torch.php" target="_blank">Torch</a> UV-C Disinfection Tower</p><p><a href="https://clordisys.com/lantern.php" target="_blank">Lantern</a> Portable UV-C Generator</p><p><a href="https://clordisys.com/flashbox.php" target="_blank">Flashbox</a> UV-C Disinfection Chamber</p>Erika Stampouloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02281352085434556473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508237720157994542.post-37179581013871408422021-01-14T15:57:00.002-05:002021-01-14T15:57:47.239-05:00Case Study: Decontamination prior to Renovation<p>In the pharmaceutical and medical device industry, contamination control and sterility are crucial components to maintaining the highest level of quality products expected of companies in these fields. ClorDiSys Solutions’ chlorine dioxide decontamination services have successfully treated many pharmaceutical facilities over the past 20 years, eliminating viruses, bacteria, molds, and beta lactams. New facilities, as well as buildings undergoing renovation, have been decontaminated to establish sterility prior to production starting up as well. One pharmaceutical company required our services to decontaminate five separate animal holding rooms and lab spaces (totaling approximately 25,000 cubic feet) prior to renovation. Our service technicians needed to gas each room individually, because we were unable to shut down the HVAC system. We used bubble tight dampers to isolate each room from the HVAC system. The decontamination took place with all process parameters being met to achieve the targeted 6-log sporicidal reduction in all rooms. The biological indicators were negative for growth after 36 hours of incubation, capping off a successful decontamination.</p><p>ClorDiSys Solutions offers many chlorine dioxide-based <a href="https://clordisys.com/pdfs/brochures/Pharmaceutical%20Industry%20Brochure.pdf" target="_blank">decontamination products and services to preserve pharmaceutical companies’ product integrity and trust</a>. If you would like to learn more about how to establish the scope of a project or our decontamination services in general, please contact us at sales@clordisys.com or <a href="http://go.pardot.com/l/598241/2019-01-25/fwssls" target="_blank">complete this form</a>.</p>Erika Stampouloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02281352085434556473noreply@blogger.com