Gamma Irradiated vs Validated Sterile Wipes

Is gamma irradiated the same as validated sterile?

Are you looking to purchase some clean room wipes for a sterile facility? Learn the differences between gamma irradiated vs validated sterile in this article.

Does your cleanroom require the use of sterile wipes? If so, some confusion might arise when you find there are gamma irradiated and validated sterile options.

This might leave you wondering if it’s ok to use gamma-irradiated wipes instead of validated sterile wipes. Keep reading to find out the difference between these two.

What Are Gamma Irradiated Wipes?

Just as the name implies, these wipes have been bombarded with gamma rays to destroy the bioburden present on their surface. Bioburden refers to the total number of bacteria and virus colonies that might live on the surface of an object. Experts use doses of highly powerful gamma rays to disinfect these wipes, so they can be safely used in clean rooms.

What Are Validated Sterile Wipes?

Validated sterile wipes have been bombarded with gamma rays for hygienic purposes and they have also been tested. The Sterility Assurance Level (SAL) is a metric used to determine the cleanliness of a particular wipe. For example, some of the most popular validated sterile wipes are characterized by a chance of having 1 non-sterile unit for every 1,000,000 sterile units.

What’s The Difference Between Gamma Irradiated and Validated Sterile Wipes?

Both these types of wipes have been irradiated using powerful gamma rays, so why aren’t they identical? Well, the validated sterile wipes have been closely monitored and tested for efficacy. They are guaranteed to be sterile and they are the safest ones to be used in cleanrooms.

On the other hand, gamma-irradiated wipes have been thoroughly disinfected with a dose of gamma rays which is known to kill most bacteria and viruses. However, no tests have been performed to determine the effectiveness of the gamma-ray bombardment. Gamma irradiated wipes might be very clean, maybe as clean as validated sterile wipes, but you cannot tell for sure because no tests have been performed.

Packaging Considerations

Validated sterile wipes often come in special packaging that preserve their sterility. Package Validation is another metric that characterizes how good is the packaging at maintaining the sterility of the wipes. There are various factors that are taken into account such as the performance of the virus barrier, the compatibility of the materials, etc. As long as the package hasn’t been compromised, you have the assurance that the validated sterile wipes are safe to be used in a cleanroom.

So What Wipe Should You Use?

The types of clean room wipes you use determine the quality of the final product. It’s important to utilize wipes that meet the requirements of your specific cleanrooms.

Validated sterile wipes are often slightly more expensive but you’ll have peace of mind knowing they have been tested to be sterile. For less critical applications might, non-validated gamma-irradiated might be suitable but remember to refer to your cleanroom requirements as well as any other mandatory standards.

Check out our collection of clean room wipes and polyester cleanroom wipes to see which one is compatible with your application. Our products are available in various sizes and they come at affordable prices!

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Did you know? that an ISO 1 clean room allows for no more than 12 particles per cubic meter of space? By comparison, the standard outdoor air in most cities contains no less than 35 million particles for each cubic meter of space.