Biorepository Safety

 

What is a Biorepository?

A biorepository, or "biobank",  is a specialized facility designed to store, archive, and distribute biological samples for research or clinical purposes. Biorepositories house biological samples, such as blood, plasma, urine, saliva, tissues, DNA, and organs, among other specimen types, collected from consenting individuals. Critical associated information, including relevant health information about the donor, is linked to the sample, given a unique identifier, and uploaded into a laboratory information management system. Scientists use samples stored in biorepositories to research diseases and develop new treatments, drugs, and vaccines, among other applications. Biorepositories provide secure environments that help ensure the integrity of the samples stored within, and allow researchers an efficient way to access the samples they need for their studies.

How are Biological Samples Stored?

Cryopreservation is the most commonly used method for freezing and storing biological samples.  This method most often uses liquid nitrogen (LN2) to achieve the ultra-low temperature necessary for cryopreservation, usually between -80°C and -196°C. Biorepositories use cryogenic freezers and LN2  to achieve and maintain the super-cold temperatures required for long-term sample storage.

Biorepositories must rely on a continuous supply of LN2 to ensure that samples stay fully frozen in order to preserve their integrity and usability. Liquid nitrogen is typically supplied through liquid nitrogen generators or bulk tanks located outside the facility, or from cryogenic cylinders or Dewar vessels located inside near the freezers.

Liquid Nitrogen Safety - Oxygen Monitors Can Reduce Risk

Cryopreservation ensures that the samples remain viable for future use. However, since LN2 is an oxygen-depleting gas that is both odorless and colorless, absent appropriate monitoring, biorepository personnel would be unable to detect a liquid nitrogen leak if one were to occur in a gas cylinder or supply line. When there is not enough oxygen in the air, persons working in the area can become disoriented, lose consciousness, or even suffocate from lack of oxygen. Additionally, a liquid nitrogen leak could lead to the loss of its super-cooling properties, causing the temperature to rise inside the freezer, possibly causing catastrophic damage to the biological samples.

As such, best practice calls for oxygen deficiency monitors to be installed anywhere there is a risk of nitrogen gas leaks. The National Institutes of Health’s Design Requirements Manual stipulates that, to warn of oxygen depletion, oxygen monitoring equipment is to be provided in freezer rooms and other rooms where cryogenic fluids (including liquid nitrogen) are supplied or stored.

PureAire Monitors

PureAire Monitoring Systems’ Oxygen Deficiency Monitors continuously track levels of oxygen and will detect liquid nitrogen leaks before freezer failure jeopardizes either the integrity of stored samples or employee health. Built with zirconium oxide sensor cells to ensure longevity, PureAire’s O2 Monitors can last, trouble-free, for over 10 years under normal operating conditions.  In the event of an LN2 gas leak, and a decrease in oxygen to an unsafe level, our Monitor will set off an alarm, complete with horns and flashing lights, alerting employees to evacuate the affected area.

The Oxygen Monitors should be placed wherever liquid nitrogen is stored, and in all rooms and areas where nitrogen is used.

PureAire Oxygen Monitors measure oxygen 24/7, with no time-consuming maintenance or calibration required.

Each PureAire O2 Monitor has an easy to read screen, which displays current oxygen levels, for at-a-glance readings by biorepository personnel, who derive peace of mind from the Monitor’s presence and reliability.

Thermal Vacuum Chambers: A Must Have for Space Exploration

 

On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched the first artificial satellite into space, thus ushering in the Space Age. Since then, over 8,000 satellites have been launchedfrom more than 50 countries. According to Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, at the end of 2021 there were around 5,000 active satellites in orbit.

In addition to all of those satellites, space is currently home to a number of other pieces of equipment, including two space stations, the Hubbell and James WebbSpace Telescopes,as well as robotic equipment, including six motorized robotic vehicles(or rovers) currently on Mars.

Once launched, equipment is expensive to replace and difficult to repair if it gets lost or damaged.  In order to ensure reliability, safety, and that satellites, spacecraft, and related components will operate as intended, nearly all equipment destined for the final frontierundergo intensive testing, prior to launch, in environmentsthat replicate the conditions actually found in space.

Space is a harsh environment, and every component will be subjected to conditions unlike anything found on Earth,including microgravity, extreme hot and cold temperature cycling, ultra-vacuum atmosphere, and high-energy radiation.

Thermal Vacuum Chambers

One key aspect of the testing includes the use of thermal vacuum chambers (TVC) to replicate the ultra-cold temperatures and the airless vacuum of space.  The extreme cold and absence of air pressure in TVCs will help identify flaws or weaknesses in the equipment tested.

Thermal vacuum chambershave been used for a number of years by the aerospace industry. In fact, Thermal Vacuum Chamber A, located at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, was used to test both the Apollo spacecraft before their historic missionsto space and, following upgrades, the James Webb Telescope prior to its launch in 2021.

Once equipment to be tested is placed inside the TVC, the air is evacuated. When the air, and accompanyingair pressure,areremoved, gas trapped in materials is released, and outgassing begins to occur. The released gases, and other impuritiesinside the chamber, will begin to evaporate and may condenseon the equipment,potentially making it less accurate or even unusable.

To reduce the temperature inside the chamber, and to remove lingering gases and impurities from the chamber, TVCs typically utilize cryopumps. These pumps, located at the bottom of the chambersuse cryogenic gases, such as liquid nitrogen (LN₂) or helium (He), to super-chill the air and the surfaces of the cryopump tobetween -208 Celsius and -261 Celsius.  As the air in the chamber passes over the surfaces, gases such as oxygen, nitrogen, helium, and hydrogen instantly freeze to the surfaces of the cryopump and are, effectively, removed from the chamber.

Oxygen Deprivation Risks When Using Cryogenic Gases

Clearly, liquid nitrogen and helium play a vital role in the development and testing of equipment used in space exploration. However, there are risks associated with use of LN₂ and He. Liquid nitrogen and helium are oxygen-depleting gases that are both odorless and colorless. As such, absent appropriate gas monitoring equipment, personnel working near thermal vacuum chambers would likely be unable to detect LN₂ or He leaks, and an accompanying decrease in oxygen.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), an environment in which oxygen levels fall below 19.5 percent is considered an oxygen-deficient atmosphere and should be treated as immediately dangerous to health or life. When there is not enough oxygen in the air, persons working in the affected area may become disoriented, lose consciousness, or even suffocate due to the lack of sufficient oxygen.

PureAire Oxygen Monitors

PureAire Monitoring Systems’ Oxygen Deficiency Monitor offers thorough air monitoring, with no time-consuming maintenance or calibration required. Best practice calls for oxygen monitors to be installed anywhere there is a risk of gas leaks—i.e., wherever cryogenic gases, including liquid nitrogenand helium, are stored, and in all locations where these gases are used.

A screen displays current oxygen levels, for at-a-glance reading by employees, who derive peace of mind from the Monitor’s presence and reliable performance.

Built with zirconium oxide sensor cells, to ensure longevity, the Monitor can last, trouble-free, for 10+ years in normal working conditions.

In the event of a liquid nitrogen or helium gas leak,where oxygen decreases to unsafe levels, PureAire’s Monitor will set off an alarm, complete with horns and flashing lights, alerting personnel to take corrective action.

For over 20 years, PureAire Monitoring Systems has been an industry leader in manufacturing long-lasting, accurate, and reliable Oxygen Deficiency Monitors. We have dedicated ourselves to ensuring the safety and satisfaction of our clients, many of which have very sophisticated operating requirements. We are proud to note that NASA’s SOFIA-Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy–a Boeing 747SP aircraft modified to carry a 2.7 meter (106 inch) reflecting telescope–carries onboard a PureAire Oxygen Deficiency Monitor.

Safe Use of Liquid Nitrogen in Food Processing Plants

 

In December 2020,  two employees working at a Vernon, California food processing plant lost consciousness and died following an apparent liquid nitrogen leak. On January 28, 2021, there were several fatalities, and many other employees became sick, after being exposed to nitrogen gas when a liquid nitrogen line ruptured at a food processing plant in Gainesville, Georgia.According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a total of fourteen workers died from asphyxiation linked to nitrogen gas in twelve separate workplace accidents recorded between 2012 and 2020, and 2021 is already off to a sad start.  Tragically, these accidents illustrate the dangers of working with liquid nitrogen.

Importance of Liquid Nitrogen in Food Processing

Liquid nitrogen (LN2) is used in food processing in a number of applications, including grinding, mixing, coating, freezing, and packaging foods. Food processors may use liquid nitrogen in the production of a variety of foods, such as meat, poultry, seafood, fruits, vegetables, baked goods, and prepackaged meals. The very low temperature of LN2 is used to flash-freeze foods to help prevent microbial growth that can lead to food spoilage, and to maintain the foods’ original freshness, flavor, and textures.

Oxygen Monitors Can Reduce the Risk of Liquid Nitrogen Accidents

While the use of liquid nitrogen is important in food processing, it is not without risk. When liquid nitrogen is exposed to the air (which happens when leaks occur), it will evaporate, changing from a liquid to an oxygen-depleting gas. Oxygen deprivation can put employees in real danger if there are leaks from pressurized LN2 freezer lines, exhaust systems, or on-site storage containers. In the event of a liquid nitrogen leak, food processing workers could become disoriented, lose consciousness, or even suffocate from breathing oxygen-deficient air. Since LN2 is both odorless and colorless, workers would, in the absence of appropriate monitoring, have no way of knowing that there has been a liquid nitrogen leak.

However, by utilizing a top-quality oxygen deficiency monitor, food plant personnel can safely track oxygen levels and detect leaks before workers’ health is jeopardized.Best practice calls for oxygen deficiency monitors to be installed anywhere there is a risk of liquid nitrogen gas leaks. The monitor should be placed wherever liquid nitrogen is stored, and in all areas where liquid nitrogen is used. The monitoring equipment should include visual and audible alarms that would be activated in the event of liquid nitrogen leaks and a decrease in oxygen levels.

PureAire Monitors

PureAire Monitoring Systems’ line of oxygen deficiency monitors, including a water-resistant unit for facilities requiring daily wash-downs, offers thorough air monitoring, with no time-consuming maintenance or calibration required. In the event of a liquid nitrogen leak, and a decrease in oxygen to an unsafe level, PureAire’s oxygen deficiency monitor will set off an alarm, complete with horns and flashing lights, alerting personnel to evacuate the area. PureAire oxygen deficiency monitors are ideally suited for use in food processing facilities because the monitors can withstand temperatures as low as -40 Celsius. Each PureAire O2 monitor has an easy to read screen, which displays current oxygen levels, for at-a-glance reading by food processing employees, who derive peace of mind from the monitor’s presence and reliable performance.

Consumers Have No Beef Eating Plant-Based Meats

Overview
How about meat without involving animals? Move over, veggie burgers; food companies such as Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, among others, have created plant-based meats that smell, taste, and look (imagine a thick, juicy hamburger) like the real thing. Unlike traditional veggie burgers, made from soy and bean paste, which have been marketed primarily to vegetarians, these companies are wooing and winning over a new group of customer-so-called “flexitarians”- consumers who do eat (or, at least, desire the taste and texture of) meat but, for health or sustainability reasons, want to reduce their meat consumption. According to Barclays Investment Bank, roughly one-third of Americans, or 100 million people, follow a flexitarian diet and that number is expected to rise.

Plant-Based Burgers
Impossible Foods, which makes the Impossible Burger, and Beyond Meat, the company responsible for the Beyond Burger, are perhaps the most well-known producers of meats whose ingredients are derived from plants. Although their ingredients and manufacturing processes are not identical, both companies seek to replicate the essential qualities of a hamburger derived from cows: texture (Impossible and Beyond both utilize various plant proteins); fat/marbling (both companies use coconut oil, as well as other cooking oils); coloring (Impossible relies on soy leghemoglobin, or “heme”, while Beyond uses beet and apple extracts); and flavor (both use natural flavors, and the “heme” that Impossible uses for color also enhances the flavor profile of its products.

Growing Availability and Popularity of Plant-Based Meats
For an industry that barely existed five years ago, the plant-based meat sector is experiencing spectacular growth, and over 50,000 grocery stores and restaurants, including Safeway, Whole Foods, Burger King, Subway, White Castle, KFC, and Carl’s Jr., now carry products from Beyond Meat or Impossible Foods.

And burgers are not the only choice when it comes to plant-based meats. Other options include chicken, pork, and sausages. In August of 2019, after a successful trial run in New York City, Dunkin’ Donuts announced it was rolling out a breakfast sandwich made with Beyond Meat sausages in 9,000 of its stores. Likewise, after selling out of the new plant-based Beyond Fried Chicken in Atlanta, KFC is introducing the product at other locations throughout the South.

According to the Good Food Institute, the value of the U.S. plant-based meat market was $801 Million for the year ending April 2019. Furthermore, investment firm UBS projects growth of plant-based protein and meat alternatives to increase from $4.6 billion in 2018 to $85 billion in 2030.

Gas Usage in Facilities Producing Plant-Based Meats
Food safety compliance is critically important in the food industry and, to continue to grow their sales and increase market acceptance, producers must ensure that their plant-based meats are as safe to consume as non-plant-based meats. Safety requirements dictate that plant-based hamburger, sausage, chicken, and other products be rapidly chilled and/or frozen during the production process and before they can be shipped to restaurant or grocery outlets. As such, modern freezing technology, including the use of tunnel freezers, is essential to the ongoing success of the plant-based meat industry.

Tunnel freezers work by rapidly freezing foods using cryogenic gases, such as liquid nitrogen (LN2) or carbon dioxide (CO2). The food items are placed on a conveyor belt, which carries them into the freezer, where an injection system (utilizing either liquid nitrogen or carbon dioxide), together with fans circulating the gas-chilled air, ensures that all food products are quickly and evenly frozen.

Oxygen Monitors Can Improve Safety in Plant-Based Food Manufacturing

While the use of liquid nitrogen and/or carbon dioxide is important in the production of plant-based meats, it is not without risk. LN2 and CO2 are both oxygen depleting gases, and oxygen deprivation could put employees in real danger if there are gas leaks from freezer supply lines or exhaust systems, or from on-site gas storage containers. In the event of a leak, plant personnel could become disoriented, lose consciousness, or even suffocate from breathing oxygen-deficient air. Since LN2 and CO2 are both colorless and odorless, workers would, in the absence of appropriate monitoring, have no way of knowing that there has in fact been a leak. By utilizing a top-quality oxygen monitor, safety and production personnel can track oxygen levels and detect leaks before workers’ health is jeopardized.

PureAire Water-Resistant Dual O2/CO2 Monitors
PureAire Monitoring Systems’ water-resistant dual oxygen/carbon dioxide monitors offer thorough air monitoring, with no time-consuming maintenance or calibration required. A screen displays current oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, for at-a-glance reading by employees, who derive peace of mind from the monitor’s presence and reliable performance. In the event of a nitrogen or carbon dioxide leak, and a decrease in oxygen to an unsafe level, the monitor will set off an alarm, complete with horns and lights, alerting personnel to evacuate the area.

PureAire’s dual oxygen/carbon dioxide monitor is housed in an IP67 water resistant enclosure that will keep the electronics dry during wash-downs, and the monitor will remain accurate at extremely low temperatures. That makes it ideally suited for environments, such as plant-based food processing facilitiesthat use liquid nitrogen and carbon dioxide. Built with zirconium oxide sensor cells and non-dispersive infrared sensor (NDIR) cells to ensure longevity, PureAire’s water-resistant dual O2/CO2 monitors can last, trouble-free, for over 10 years under normal operating conditions.

Fast, Frozen, Convenience-Tunnel Freezers

Frozen foods first became commercially viable in the 1930s, thanks in large part to Clarence Birdseye. He is credited with inventing the double-belt freezer, the forerunner to modern quick-freeze technology, which includes the tunnel freezers used by most major food processors in North America.

Frozen foods offer many benefits to today’s busy consumers, including convenience; minimal processing, with few to no preservatives; a long spoilage-free product shelf life; and, especially when compared with canned foods, superior taste, since the ingredients are quick-frozen at their peak of freshness. Seasonal foods, such as fruits and vegetables, are, once they have been frozen, now available year-round. In the same way, people living in landlocked locations can enjoy fresh-frozen seafood, no matter the distance from the coast. And, through the near magic of quick-frozen partially baked bread products, we can consume bakery-quality goods at home, straight out of the ovens in our own kitchens.

Still, even as Mr. Birdseye’s invention made frozen foods available to mass consumers in the first place nearly a century ago, so, too, have more recent innovations in freezing technology, including new freezer types, such as tunnel freezers using cryogenic gases, greatly improved the quality and, therefore, the market acceptance, of frozen foods. These freezers very quickly “flash freeze” foods at extremely low temperatures, such that the foods maintain essentially all of their original freshness, flavor, and texture.

How Tunnel Freezers Work

Tunnel freezers work by rapidly freezing food using cryogenic gases, such as liquid nitrogen (LN₂) or carbon dioxide (CO₂). The fresh food items are placed on a conveyor belt, which carries them into the freezer, where an injection system (utilizing either liquid nitrogen or carbon dioxide), together with fans circulating the gas-chilled air, ensure that all food surfaces are quickly and evenly frozen.

Food products frozen in cryogenic tunnel freezers, including all manner of proteins, fruits, vegetables, and parbaked bread and dough items, are ultimately shipped to grocery chains and warehouse superstores; operators of quick service, fast casual, and fine dining restaurants; and school and hospital cafeterias, among other places, and they are enjoyed daily by millions of hungry people.

Monitoring Can Protect Food Processing Employees

While the use of liquid nitrogen and/or carbon dioxide is essential in that part of the quick-frozen food processing industry using tunnel freezer technology, it is not without risk. LN₂ and CO₂ are both oxygen-depleting gases, and oxygen deprivation could put employees in real danger if there are gas leaks from freezer supply lines or exhaust systems, or from on-site gas storage containers. In the event of a leak, plant personnel could become disoriented, lose consciousness, or even suffocate from breathing oxygen-deficient air. Since liquid nitrogen and carbon dioxide are both colorless and odorless, workers would, in the absence of appropriate monitoring, have no way of knowing that there has in fact been a gas leak.

PureAire Water-Resistant Dual O2/CO2 Monitors 

PureAire Monitoring Systems’ water-resistant dual oxygen/carbon dioxide monitors offer thorough air monitoring, with no time-consuming maintenance or calibration required. A screen displays current oxygen and carbon dioxide levels for at-a-glance reading by employees, who derive peace of mind from the monitor’s presence and reliable performance.

In the event of a nitrogen or carbon dioxide leak, and a decrease in oxygen to an unsafe level, the monitor will set off an alarm, complete with horns and flashing lights, alerting personnel to evacuate the area.

PureAire’s dual oxygen/carbon dioxide monitor is housed in an IP67 water resistant enclosure that will keep the electronics dry during wash-downs and will remain accurate at extremely low temperatures.That makes the monitor ideally suited for facilities using liquid nitrogen or carbon dioxide, such as frozen food processing plants with tunnel freezers. Built with zirconium oxide sensor cells and non-dispersive infrared sensor (NDIR)cells to ensure longevity, PureAire’s dual O2/CO2 monitors can last, trouble-free, for over 10 years under normal operating conditions.

Cryotherapy - Baby It’s Cold Inside

Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy (also known as cold therapy) is broadly defined as the use of very cold temperatures for medical or general wellness purposes.  Modern cryotherapy (which comes from the Greek kyro, meaning “cold” and therapeia,  meaning “healing”) can be traced back thousands of years, and some form of it was practiced by the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians, among other civilizations, which used extreme cold therapy to treat injuries and reduce inflammation.

In 1978, a Japanese rheumatologist, Toshima Yamaguchi, developed what is known as Whole Body Cryotherapy (“WBC”), in which, cryotherapy is applied to the entire body; that is, the whole body, except the head, is exposed to extremely cold temperatures. Dr. Yamaguchi’s research found that rapid temperature decreases on the outer layers of individuals’ skin led to a rapid release of endorphins, which caused those individuals to become less sensitive to pain. To put his findings into practice, Dr. Yamaguchi and his associates built the world’s first cryochamber.

How Whole Body Cryotherapy Works

Whole body cryotherapy involves enclosing the entire body (excepting the head) in a cryochamber, with liquid nitrogen used to quickly chill the chamber to temperatures between -200 and -300 degrees Fahrenheit for a period not longer that 2-4 minutes. The extremely rapid cooling of the body causes blood flow to concentrate towards the body’s core, and away from the extremities, which, in concept, can reduce inflammation relating to soft tissue injuries.  At the same time, the body releases endorphins, which serve to decrease pain and increase feelings of euphoria.

Health Benefits Attributed to Whole Body Cryotherapy

Whole body cryotherapy is used to treat patients suffering from chronic inflammatory conditions, as well as, Olympic and other elite athletes experiencing muscle soreness, and to shorten recovery times from injuries and surgeries.

Cryotherapy is used to treat joint pain and inflammation due to arthritis and fibromyalgia, and for pain management, physical therapy, anti-aging, and weight loss treatments.

Oxygen Monitors Can Protect Cryochamber Workers and Users

In 2015, a cryotherapy facility employee in Las Vegas was found dead after she suffocated in a chamber.  The coroner’s office concluded that the death was caused by accidental asphyxiation, resulting from low oxygen levels, possibly resulting from a leak of the nitrogen gas used to rapidly chill the cryochamber. Nitrogen is an oxygen-depleting gas that is both odorless and colorless. Oxygen deprivation is called a silent killer because there are no indications that one is breathing oxygen deficient air until it is too late. As such, absent appropriate monitoring, workers would be unable to detect a nitrogen leak if one were to occur in a gas cylinder or line. Conversely, by utilizing a top-quality oxygen monitor, also known as an oxygen deficiency monitor, cryochamber personnel can track oxygen levels and detect leaks before a workers’ and users’ health is jeopardized.

PureAire Monitors

PureAire Monitoring Systems’ oxygen monitors continuously track levels of oxygen and will detect nitrogen leaks before the health of cryochamber operators or users is put at risk. Built with zirconium oxide sensor cells, to ensure longevity, PureAire’s O2 monitors can last, trouble-free, for over 10 years under normal operating conditions.  In the event of a nitrogen gas leak, and a decrease in oxygen to an unsafe level, the monitor will set off an alarm, replete with horns and flashing lights, alerting staff and users to evacuate the area.

Best practice calls for oxygen monitors to be installed anywhere there is a risk of gas leaks. The oxygen monitors should be placed wherever nitrogen is stored and, in all rooms where nitrogen is used.

PureAire oxygen monitors measure oxygen 24/7, with no time-consuming maintenance or calibration required.

Each PureAire O2 monitor has an easy to read screen, which displays current oxygen levels, for at-a-glance readings by cryochamber employees, who derive peace of mind from the monitor’s presence and reliability.

Freeze-Dried Food…Dogs Eat It Up

Overview

As dog owners, we treat our pets as we do our children, taking care that the food we give them is not only filling and nutritious but contains only high-quality ingredients sourced and processed in ways that meet our exacting standards.

For many owners, far in the past are the days of grabbing any old bag of kibble off the shelf and feeding it to Fido or Ginger. Dog owners today are making informed choices in their purchases of pet food, such as whether the ingredients are all-natural or organic, whether they contain allergens to be avoided, which proteins predominate in the mix, etc. Not only are owners increasingly educated about what goes into their dogs’ food, they are faced with many choices when it comes to exactly what form the food will take.

Types of Dog Food

Major pet food types available to contemporary dog owners, from a wide array of manufacturers, include dry food, semi-moist, canned, raw, and freeze-dried food.
Dry food, commonly known as kibble, is the most prevalent type of dog food on the market. Semi-moist food is served either on its own or added to kibble for a variety of tastes and textures. Canned food is a moist product with a long shelf life. Raw food appeals to owners who believe that an uncooked all-meat diet is closer to what dogs would have eaten in the wild, before they became domesticated. Raw foods may be produced and sold as either fresh, fresh frozen, or freeze-dried.

Freeze-Dried Dog Food

The freeze-dried dog food segment--including 100% freeze-dried meals, so-called “kibble+” (dry kibble mixed with freeze-dried components), and freeze-dried treats, such as beef liver and other types of training tidbits--currently commands only a niche share of the ~$30 Billion U.S. dog food industry, but it is rapidly growing in popularity among owners seeking, as in their own diets, to avoid highly processed foods.

Purchasing freeze-dried proteins, whether cooked or raw, as well as fruits and vegetables (which are typically freeze-dried in a raw state), allows owners to provide their pets with minimally processed, nutrient-rich, natural foods. Freeze-drying quality ingredients makes for an easily transportable, shelf-stable tasty food that does not require refrigeration.

Gas Usage in Freeze-Dried Food Processing and Packaging

Food safety is as important in the pet food industry as it is in the manufacturing and distribution of human-grade foodstuffs.  Proper temperatures must be maintained in order to prevent mold and bacteria growth resulting from, among other things, improper cooking and cooling temperatures, as well as insufficient or excessive moisture.

Quality control and safety concerns dictate that, because of their rapid cooling and freezing properties, liquid nitrogen (LN2) and liquid carbon dioxide (liquid CO2) be used in pet food production to uniformly cool proteins after cooking, and to freeze them as part of the freeze-drying process. Once properly chilled, the proteins and other ingredients that go into a freeze-dried dog food product are quickly frozen in blast freezers using LN2 or liquid CO2.  After freezing, they are placed into vacuum drying chambers for some 12 hours, until the drying process is complete (i.e., essentially all moisture has been removed), following which the food is ready for packaging.

To prolong dog food shelf life (by inhibiting the growth of mold and bacteria which thrive in oxygenated environments), nitrogen is injected to displace oxygen from the product packaging.The addition of nitrogen during the packaging phase also provides a cushion to protect the contents from settling and breakage that can occur during shipping and handling.

Oxygen Monitors Can Improve Safety in Pet Food Manufacturing and Packaging

While their use is essential in the production of freeze-dried dog food, nitrogen and carbon dioxide can pose health risks (including death by asphyxiation) to employees working in the industry. Nitrogen and carbon dioxide are both odorless and colorless, and they displace oxygen. Absent appropriate monitoring, workers would be unable to detect a leak if one were to occur in a gas cylinder or line. Conversely, by utilizing a top-quality oxygen monitor, safety and production personnel can track oxygen levels and detect leaks before workers’ health is jeopardized.

PureAire Monitors

With PureAire Monitoring Systems’ dual oxygen/carbon dioxide monitor, pet food producers can track levels of oxygen and detect nitrogen or carbon dioxide leaks before workers’ health is at risk. PureAire’s O2/CO2 monitor measures oxygen and carbon dioxide 24/7, with no time-consuming maintenance or calibration required. PureAire’s monitors can handle temperatures as low as -40C, making them ideally suited for environments, such as pet food processing plants, that use liquid nitrogen and carbon dioxide.

Built with zirconium oxide sensor cells and non-dispersive infrared sensor (NDIR) cells, to ensure longevity, PureAire’s O2/CO2 monitors can last, trouble-free, for over 10 years under normal operation conditions.

New requirements for safe use and storage of liquid nitrogen and dry ice

The College of American Pathologists ("CAP")recently imposed new requirementsto address risks related to the use and storage of liquid nitrogen ("LN2") and dry ice.

Background

The new requirements come after a deadly incident in 2017, when liquid nitrogen leaked at a Georgia lab that was not accredited through CAP.  Emergency responders were called to the scene when an employee suffered burns and, moreover,lost consciousness from oxygen deprivation caused by the leak. While the employeeeventuallyrecovered from her injuries, one of the first responders died of asphyxiation as a result ofthe nitrogen leak.

That unfortunate incident illustrates the dangers of nitrogen leaks,which are inherent in the storage and use of LN2. Indeed, there are several cases reported nearly every year of laboratory personnel who die of asphyxiation caused by exposure to nitrogen gas.
Asphyxiation riskis present in dry ice usage as well since, if it is stored in areas without proper ventilation, dry ice can replaceoxygen with carbon dioxide, potentially causing workers to rapidly lose consciousness.

CAP’s New Regulations

Despite their safety risks, both dry ice and LN2 have many beneficial uses in commercial and lab settings, including hospital and research facilities. As such, CAP’s new focus on utilizing best practices to increase employee safety and reduce the danger of nitrogen leaks is vitally important.
Before the regulations were changed, lab directors had greater personal discretion in selectingthe types and deployment of safety equipment utilized in their facilities. Now, laboratories are required to place oxygen("O2") monitors at human height breathing levels anywhere liquid nitrogen is used or stored, and they must place signage warning of safety risk regarding, and train all affected employees on safe handling of, LN2 and dry ice.

Pathologists understand that oxygen/carbon dioxide monitors must be placed appropriately anywheredry ice or LN2 are used or stored.  Even a couple tanks of liquid nitrogen kept in a supply closet pose a safety risk, because even a small leak can quickly displace a large amount of oxygen.

Oxygen Monitors Protect Laboratory Workers

While many people realize that the use and storage of liquid nitrogen and dry ice can present health risks, they may fail to grasp the speed at which circumstances can become dangerous.  It takes only a few breaths of oxygen-deficient air for one to lose consciousness.

AS CAP recognized, oxygen and carbon dioxide monitors offer an effective solution to the health and safety risks posed by nitrogen leaks and inadequatedry ice storage. O2/CO2 monitors continually monitor the air, and they will remain silent so long as oxygen and carbon dioxideremain within normal levels.However,in the event that oxygen is depleted to an unsafe level (19.5%, as established by OSHA), or carbon dioxide levels rise to an unsafe level, alarms embedded in the monitors will sound, alerting employees to evacuate the area and summon assistance from qualified responders.

PureAireMonitors

PureAire Monitoring Systems’ line of oxygen and dual oxygen/carbon dioxide monitors offerthorough air  monitoring, with no time-consuming maintenance or calibration required., The monitors function well in confined spaces, such as closets, basements, and other cramped quarters.  PureAire’s monitors can handle temperatures as low as -40 C, making them ideally suited for environments, such as laboratories, that utilize liquid nitrogen or dry ice. A screen displays current oxygen levels for at-a-glance reading by employees, who derive peace of mind from the monitor’s presence and reliable performance.
Built with zirconium oxide sensor cells and non-dispersive infrared sensor (NDIR)cells, to ensure longevity, Pure Aire O2 monitors can last, trouble-free, for over 10 years under normal operating conditions.  That makes PureAire a cost-effective choice forprotecting employees and complying with the new safety regulations affecting labs and hospitals.
Learn more about oxygen monitors and best practices for their use at www.pureairemonitoring.com.

IVF Cryopreservation and Safe Handling Practices

Couples that want to have a baby but have not been able to conceive naturally are drawn to invitro fertilization (IVF) treatments.

In an IVF treatment, several eggs are fertilized at once, which creates multiple embryos. While more than one embryo may be implanted, to spur the odds of pregnancy, there are inevitably some unused embryos.

The remaining embryos may be preserved cryogenically, for use later, rather than destroyed. There are many reasons couples may select cryopreservation of embryos, including:

• A second chance if the IVF treatment fails the first time around
• The desire to have another child
• As a precaution before undergoing medically necessary procedures that might the reduce the odds of a successful pregnancy, such as cancer treatment
• Opportunity to use embryos in medical research
• Opportunity to donate embryos to another couple

The National Embryo Donation Center estimates that there are over 700,000 human embryos currently stored in the United States.

The cryogenic process relies on cryoprotective agents (or CPAs), which protect the embryo from damage while it freezes. Damage may occur as ice crystals form during the freezing process. Without the use of CPAs, the ice crystals could pierce the embryo wall, causing embryo failure.

Cryopreservation facilities may use either a slow or fast method to freeze the embryos. In the slow method, embryos are frozen in stages, with protective agents added in slow doses over time. The frozen embryos are then preserved in liquid nitrogen until they are slowly thawed for use.

The fast-freezing method combines higher concentrations of CPAs to the embryo, after which the embryo is quickly plunged into liquid nitrogen. The process is so quick that ice is unable to form, thus protecting the embryo from damage.

Wherever liquid nitrogen is used, there are risks associated with nitrogen leaks. Nitrogen displaces oxygen, and a leak would rob the air of oxygen, thereby creating a health hazard for medical staff. When there is not enough oxygen in the air, persons working in the area can suffocate due to the lack of oxygen. Since nitrogen lacks color and odor, there is no way to detect a leak using the senses. In addition, a nitrogen leak could lead to failure of the cryopreservation tanks storing the embryos. In order to ensure the safety of employees, and the viability of the embryos, cryopreservation facilities need to rely on oxygen monitors.

How Oxygen Monitors Protect Employee Health in IVF Facilities

Oxygen monitors continually sample the air, taking periodic readings of current oxygen levels. In the event of a nitrogen leak, and a drop in oxygen to an OSHA action level, the built-in horn will sound, and lights will begin to flash, thereby providing notification to the employees that they must exit the area.

Best practice calls for oxygen monitors to be placed wherever nitrogen is used or stored. Not all oxygen monitors currently on the market are suitable for use in confined spaces or in freezers.

PureAire Monitoring Systems oxygen monitors are uniquely suited for use in an IVF facility, because the monitors can withstand temperatures as low as -40C.

PureAire Monitoring Systems monitors feature long-lasting zirconium sensors, which are designed to provide accurate readings, without calibration, for up to 10 years. Busy IVF facilities will appreciate the ease of use, and low maintenance of PureAire Monitoring Systems products.

To learn more or to view product specs, please visit www.pureairemonitoring.com

Storing Liquid Nitrogen in Laboratories: Which Safety Precautions and Sensors Will Protect your Employees?

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Liquid nitrogen is frequently used in scientific research, chemistry classes, and even culinary arts nowadays. The substance is safe when properly stored, and as long as everyone follows safety protocols while handling the liquid nitrogen. As part of an environmental health and safety review (EHS review), learn safety considerations regarding storing liquid nitrogen in the lab setting. 

EHS Review: Understand Liquid Nitrogen Risks

Liquid nitrogen is known for its cryogenic properties. It can freeze things incredibly quickly. This property also applies to people, so staff must take safety precautions when handling liquid nitrogen. Even seconds of exposure can damage skin and eye tissue, and may cause frostbite. 

Staff should never transport liquid nitrogen in open containers. They should never reach directly into vats of the substance. 

The main health risk with liquid nitrogen occurs when the liquid vaporizes into gas, which happens if it leaks into the atmosphere. Nitrogen expands in volume when it turns into gas, and depletes oxygen from the air. The gas has no odor or color, so there is no way staff can tell a leak has occurred without an alarm system. If a nitrogen leak occurs, oxygen levels will fall below safe thresholds. This causes severe cognitive and respiratory problems, as well as death by asphyxiation. 

Liquid nitrogen, like other cryogenic liquids, needs a pressure-relief valve during storage. Without such a valve, internal pressure could cause the storage tank to explode. Liquid nitrogen should be stored in a room that has proper ventilation as a precaution around leaks. If a leak occurs, the ventilation system can help shunt gases outdoors, protecting the health of workers. 

How to Protect Your Employees' Environmental Health and Safety With an Oxygen Monitor 

Facilities must install, calibrate, and maintain oxygen sensors to comply with safety policies regarding the storage of liquid nitrogen in the lab setting. These units act as a secondary precaution against the dangers of a nitrogen leak. An oxygen deficiency monitor or O2 sensor measures the levels of oxygen in the environment at all times. These devices provide labs with a cost-effective and reliable way to make sure there are no leaks in nitrogen storage areas. 

For safety precautions, install one oxygen deficiency monitor anywhere liquid nitrogen is stored, handled, or used. These monitors mount to the wall quickly and provide continuous sampling of oxygen levels. As long as there is no leak, and the room contains enough oxygen, the monitors stay silent. If nitrogen leaked it would cause a decline in oxygen levels, eventually triggering an alarm and flashing light. The oxygen monitor would provide enough time for anyone working in the area to vacate the premises and avoid being harmed or killed. 

While there are several styles of O2 sensor on the market, those from PureAire are preferred for their high quality and cost efficiency. PureAire's O2 sensors feature zirconium, which lasts for 10+ years on average with no maintenance and no calibration. Once the monitor in installed, there's nothing more that needs to be done. Since PureAire's oxygen monitors are reliable once installed, and require less maintenance than the competition, they make it easier and cheaper for labs to protect worker safety. Learn more about PureAire's products by visiting www.pureairemonitoring.com.