Air sampler calibration is an essential process to maintain accurate measurements and ensure that airflow in laboratories and cleanrooms is consistently controlled with precision.
In the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, ensuring product quality and safety is closely linked to the ability to correctly monitor environmental conditions.
Air sampling is a widely used method to assess the presence of microbiological contaminants in the air, and the accuracy of the sampler directly affects the reliability of the results.
Air sampler calibration is necessary to verify that the device complies with international standards and provides data consistent with quality control protocols. This is particularly important in regulated industries such as pharmaceuticals, where even minimal deviations can compromise entire production batches.
How air sampler calibration works
The calibration of an air sampler mainly focuses on airflow, i.e. the volume of air sampled per unit of time.
It is essential to verify that the flow is consistent and that operations are carried out accurately to ensure the validity of microbiological measurements.
Microbiological air samplers are used to monitor microbial load in critical environments, where air quality must remain under constant control.
Calibration must be performed using instruments calibrated against traceable reference standards and verified by accredited laboratories.
This ensures that measurements taken by the air sampler are accurate and reliable, guaranteeing that each sample faithfully represents the air quality at the measurement point.
A specialised laboratory, such as Altiorlab, can provide ISO 17025 accredited calibration to ensure that devices comply with quality standards.
Where ISO 9001-compliant calibration is required, QSGroup can directly carry out the procedure.
Calibration of humidity and temperature probes
In addition to air monitoring, the calibration of humidity and temperature probes is crucial to ensure the reliability of pharmaceutical production processes.
Instruments such as immersion probes, air probes, wire probes, resistance thermometers, thermocouples and thermistors, infrared thermometers and data loggers must be periodically calibrated to ensure measurement accuracy.
With a calibration range from -80°C to 1100°C and from 5% to 95% relative humidity (RH), QSGroup provides certified calibration for a wide range of devices, using advanced technologies to ensure precise and traceable results.
Calibration of microbiological air samplers: requirements and procedures
The calibration of microbiological air samplers is particularly critical in environments where even minimal variations in air quality can lead to significant contamination.
To ensure that the sampler operates at maximum efficiency, it must be calibrated periodically, following the guidelines defined by standardisation bodies.
Calibration is based on:
- Airflow verification: airflow must be stable and accurate to ensure that the sampled air correctly represents the environment.
- Device validation: the sampler is validated to ensure its performance meets required standards, particularly in regulated environments such as cleanrooms and pharmaceutical production laboratories.
Having a reliable calibration partner, such as the Altiorlab metrology laboratory of QSGroup, ensures that each device operates correctly and provides data compliant with ISO 17025 standards, thereby improving safety and efficiency within the production environment.
Benefits of accredited calibration for air samplers
Using an accredited calibration service brings significant advantages.
The main benefits include greater data accuracy, as proper calibration ensures that samplers correctly detect airborne contaminants; regulatory compliance, as calibration according to accredited standards is essential to meet GMP and ISO requirements; and improved product safety, as using a calibrated sampler helps prevent contamination, ensuring product quality and consumer safety.
Well-calibrated samplers therefore ensure operational continuity and compliance during regulatory inspections.
