Air Showers (Cannabis)
Air Showers are basically large pass-through units designed for blow-off of personnel and/or materials between an uncontrolled zone (typically a change-room or gowning-area) and the cleanroom (grow rooms). The air shower recirculates HEPA-filtered air and directs this air at high velocity (typically 6000-7000fpm) through an array of nozzles in the ceiling and walls of the shower to dislodge and collect all manner of airborne contaminants (dusts, pollen, spores, skin, clothing fibres, etc) from showered personnel and equipment before entering the cleanroom. Air showers use an interlock system and programmable blow-off sequence to ensure that all personnel are thoroughly cleaned before entry to the cleanroom.
Air showers can be single/double person units for micro-cultivation or small growing operations, up to 12’-15’ tunnels that permit a continuous flow of personnel, typical for large operations with high volume of personnel through-put.
IAS has provided both factory-assembled and site-assembled air showers coast-to-coast here in Canada, used for indoor and greenhouse growing operations.
Misting Showers and Misting-Air Showers, used primarily for pharmaceutical packaging personnel de-gowning upon egress from the cleanroom, has a good application for personnel exiting a “Mother Room”. Pollen from the mother plants is wetted and then removed when the cleanroom garments and booties are removed, before personnel move to the cleanroom or uncontrolled zone. These misting showers can also be combined with an air shower to provide both an air-purge cycle combined with a misting shower to enhance the effectiveness and minimize the risk of cross-pollination between the Mother Room and the rest of the growing operation.
