Products > Biopharmaceutical Equipment: Safety/Lab

Containment

Biopharmaceutical Containment. Also called biocontainment, is a strategy designed to prevent the escape of microorganisms. Ensuring biocontainment requires a combination of procedures and equipment, and applies to specified facilities or dedicated areas. There are four levels of biocontainment: BSL-1 through BSL-4. A BSL-1 facility has few restrictions on who may enter, connects directly with the remainder of the building, and has few specialized safety features. A BSL-2 facility is similar a BSL-1 facility with additional safety features in place to allow potentially hazardous microorganisms to be studied. Access is restricted and doors remain closed when experiments are in progress. A BSL-3 facility is designed for work with microorganisms that can become airborne and carry a great risk of infection. Work is done within biological safety cabinets or other containment equipment, or by personnel wearing protective clothing. Access to these facilities is usually through double doors, which are sealed around their edges.Exhaust air is filtered. A BSL-4 facility is designed for work with microorganisms that pose a dire health threat. These facilities prevent the release of these microorganisms into the environment and protects researchers from infection. All work in a pressurized and ventilated suits.

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Criteria to be considered when deciding containment level: Potency, OEL range, Acute toxicity, Acute adverse effects, Chronic adverse effects, Genotoxicity, Mutagenicity, Neurotoxicity, Reproductive disorders, Teratogenicity, Sensitization potential, Carcinogenicity, Epidemiology, Exposure route/Pharmacokinetics, Irritation potential (Skin/Eye). Original source of information is American Industrial Hygiene Assn., 1996. Table for Performance-Based Occupational Limits is included in an on-line article by M. C. Griffiths, Solutia Inc. (2003) Facility Design with Containment Chemistry in Mind. Pristine Processing [journal]. September 2003. Link http://www.carbogen.com/uploads/media/25082004160602_10/Containment_Paper_final_version.pdf