GAS TIGHT The monitoring of gases in a dust-free laboratory is essential to ensure the safety and health of laboratory personnel and the outcomes of experiments
Monitoring, adjusting and evacuating different gases in sophisticated laboratories are becoming increasingly important to ensure that detailed experiments are conducted safely, says gas products company African Oxygen Limited (Afrox).
Afrox special products and chemicals technical services manager Hans Strydom notes that, while modern-day laboratories involve temperature-controlled enclosed spaces under clean room conditions, which are effective, this environment has its own risks, especially when gases are fed into an enclosed space from cylinders outside the laboratory.
He explains that laboratories need to be strictly regulated in terms of temperature and humidity and that this needs to be done in an environment that is almost entirely dust-free. “The resultant challenge is fulfilling all the quality-related parameters in view of the laboratory’s safety requirements.”
One of the biggest dangers for laboratories working with gas is the release of liquid nitrogen dewars in electron microscope laboratories without adequate air replacement, as the boil-off of liquid nitrogen dilutes the oxygen, creating a danger of asphyxiation, Strydom adds.
He says toxic gases, such as sulphur dioxide and ammonia, which cannot be extracted from the sampling procedure and expelled to a scrubber to neutralise the gas, can also be problematic in terms of meeting environmental standards.
Some gases in laboratories are odourless and invisible, making detection difficult. Strydom notes that the gas-detection industry has developed several solutions to mitigate this problem through products such as infrared gas detectors, photo-ionisation detectors and chemical detectors. However, he adds that these detectors still require an accurate calibration gas to validate the measurement by means of setting a baseline to identify the gas.
Further, as most sophisticated dust-free laboratories are confined areas, the constant measurement of oxygen is essential to ensure the safety of laboratory personnel and the outcomes of some delicate experiments.
Strydom indicates that challenges such as these should be addressed during the design phase of a laboratory, as it is significantly difficult to fix design flaws after the facility is built. “Engaging with the consulting engineer and architects before the design phase and giving a proper brief for what is needed will save time and money in the long term. Afrox offers comprehensive support and assistance to ensure that all the relevant standards are adhered to.”
The company offers a turnkey gas installation solution, encompassing all aspects of gas reticulation in a dust-free laboratory. The company provides consultation during the initial design, final design and construction of the laboratory as part of its gas solutions, as well as the delivery and collection of gas cylinders. It also trains laboratory personnel in the importance and dangers of different gases.