ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING BY AIR SAMPLING METHOD
OBJECTIVE: To lay down a procedure Environmental monitoring by Air sampling method.
SCOPE: This SOP is applicable for Environmental monitoring by Air sampling method of this organization.
RESPONSIBILITY:
Quality control – Executives
Quality control – Officer (microbiologist)
ACCOUNTABILITY: Quality control – Head
ABBREVIATIONS: SCDA: Soya bean Casein digest agar
PRECAUTIONS:
Before performing air sampling sterilize the s-s hood and double warped with aluminum foil and place in DHS.
Charge the battery of the air sampler before going inside sterile area
Disinfectants the outer surface of the air sampler with 70% IPA
MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT REQUIRED:
Materials: Pre incubated Soya bean Casein digest agar plates
Equipment’s: Air sampler (Make: – SAS- SUPER IAQ), stand, and sterilized s-s aspirating head.
PROCEDURE:
Preparation of Plates: To freshly autoclaved and dried 90 mm Petri plate, add sterilized molten Soya bean casein digest agar poured 16-18 ml of each plate. After solidifying plates For Preincubation at 30°C – 35°C for 18- 24 hours.
Preparation of Air Sampler & its Accessories:
Clean the air sampler SS cone and SS feeder cone with 70% IPA. Wrap them together by fixing the SS feeder cone on SS cone in an aluminum foil. Sterilized the wrapped SS cone at 60 °C for minimum of 2 hours. After DHS cycle is complete, keep the material under LAF, till its usage.
Working of Air Sampler:
Place the prepared and preincubated Soya bean casein digest agar plate or readymade Hi Media plate removing the SS feeder cone aseptically.
Write down the location ID; date of sampling and sampled by. on the SCDA plates. Short name of location id
Place the DHS SS cone and SS feeder cone assembly inside the sampler in the space provided above the fan.
Remove the lid of the Petri plate and place the SS feeder cone circular clamp assembly in position.
Connect the air sampler to the mains.
Mount the air sampler in the direction of air flow of LAF or the area where air sampling is being done (i.e. for vertical air flow, place the air sampler vertically and for horizontal air flow, place it horizontally) on the stand.
Put on the ON switch provided back side of the air sampler. Power ON lamp glows.
Initial display shall be observed.
Press starts on the control panel to obtain 1000 Liter air.
Instrument capacity 1 min in 100-liter air sucking and 10 min in 1000-liter air sucking then auto off after sucking 1000 liter of air.
Open the head and remove the plate aseptically.
Cover the plate and put in SS container then incubate in Incubators for 72 hrs. at 22 .5 0C± 2.5 °C for fungal count and 48 hrs. at 32.50C± 2.5 °C for bacterial count respectively.