Chemists study the smallest of particles on this planet and use the knowledge that they gain from this research to enhance, improve, and change our lives. From the food that we eat to the cars that we drive to the medicines that we take, there are many times when the research that a chemist has discovered can help up live better lives. Clean room standards that require careful monitoring of API GMP storage conditions are but one example of how the work of chemists and other researchers play important roles in a number of industries.
Chemical manufacturers spend millions of dollars a year to make sure that are assessing chemical purity to the highest standards. Both radiolableing compounds and API GMP particles control the effectiveness of a number of products, from pharmaceutical productions to food developments.
Chemical Companies Play Important Roles in a Wide Range of Industries
Relying on processes that have been developed in the last year, as well as discoveries that were made more than 50 years ago, there are many times when chemists appear to be nearly performing magic while they are doing their day to day work. Radiocarbon dating, for example, was developed by physicist Willard F. Libby back in 1946, but it still plays an important role in much of the research and development work that is done today. Currently, the U.S. alone holds more than 45% of the global pharmaceutical market. This statistic is the result of thousands of hours of chemical research every single month.
Using the most detailed API GMP readings, pharmaceutical development companies and quality control labs around the globe are able to continue to create the drugs that we need to live our healthiest lives. Consider some of these facts and figures about the many ways that chemistry plays an important role in today’s world:
- Including the pharmaceutical sector, approximately 810,000 people work at chemical companies in the U.S.
- Differing in the number of neutrons in the nucleus, all elements can exist as two or more isotopes.
- Radioactive and with a half-life of about 12.5 years, tritium is a radioactive isotope of the element hydrogen.
- Maintaining and monitoring pharmaceutical clean room humidity measurements within the strictest tolerances close to plus or minus 1% is now possible because of today’s electronic sensing devices.
- The U.S. is the number one largest national producer of chemical products across the globe.
- The ambient outdoor air in a typical urban area contains 35 million particles for each cubic meter in the size range 0.5 micrometer and bigger. In comparison, an ISO 1 cleanroom permits no particles in that size range and just 12 particles for each cubic meter of 0.3 micrometer and smaller.
In addition to the chemical compounds that are carefully monitored and manipulated, there are also mechanical and man made kinds of equipment that play important roles in research. For instance, a laboratory fume hood must be checked at least once a year by an independent certifier to make sure it has the correct airflow to meet Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) criteria. In fact, a recent survey of laboratories showed that as many as 20% of them were going to replace their fume hood, and that 33% of those replacements were due to old age. In order for a chemist to be the most productive, it is important to have a lab that is well appointed with the latest equipment, and that the equipment is well maintained.
Carefully monitoring various levels of air quality and purity, chemists rely on API GMP readings and best practice guidelines to make sure that they can get the most consistent results in a number of industries. From food production to pharmaceutical research, there are many times when the world that we live in relies on the careful and dedicated work of chemists and researchers. And while there are thousands of examples, a 2012 fungal meningitis outbreak in America was traced to a specific pharmacy in the Northeast. By the time the source was isolated and the drug recalled, 48 people had died. Investigators discovered failures and shortcuts in cleaning and maintenance at the pharmacy. This is but one example of why every cleanroom requires a carefully controlled environment maintained with best practices.