Technical Safety Services offers extensive microbiological environmental monitoring (EM) services to support clients in maintaining effective contamination control. Environmental monitoring is essential for confirming — and maintaining— the quality of controlled environments. Consistent, well designed EM programs allow facilities to detect early signs of drift and address issues before they affect product quality or operational integrity.
Without a structured EM program, facilities can encounter significant challenges. Microbial contamination can compromise product quality, and unrecognized trends can escalate into larger issues that are more difficult and costly to correct. Gaps in environmental oversight may also create compliance concerns during audits and inspections. Partnering with TSS helps laboratories and controlled environments maintain proactive control, gain continuous visibility into their contamination risk, and strengthen overall regulatory readiness.
We support our clients' EM needs by offering flexible, comprehensive monitoring programs that assess room pressurization, temperature, relative humidity, non-viable particulates, and microbial surface and air contaminants. Our programs help identify sources of contamination, evaluate environmental performance, and support ongoing control within critical environments.
Microbiological environmental monitoring services offered:
- Establishment of action and alert limits with analysis of microbial and particulate trends
- Incubation and Enumeration for bacterial and fungal growth
- Genus and Species Identification
- Gram staining
- MALDI-TOF Smart Biotyper System
- Viable surface sampling
- Non-viable air particulate testing
- Passive and active viable air sampling
- Temperature and relative humidity testing and mapping
- Gowning Qualification
- Glove Fingertip Testing
- Media Fill Kits for Aseptic Technique
- Compressed gas/air system testing
How our methods serve controlled environments
We employ a variety of tools and techniques to help controlled environments maintain a stable, complaint state. Each testing approach provides insight into environmental performance and helps facilities detect and respond to contamination trends.
- Viable air and surface sampling: TSS collects viable samples from air and surfaces throughout the controlled environment to evaluate bacterial and fungal presence. Samples are incubated and enumerated in our laboratory, allowing facilities to understand microbial load and identify potential sources of contamination.
- Non-viable particle counting: Particle monitoring helps facilities evaluate whether cleanrooms or controlled areas remain within particulate limits for their classification or procedural requirements. Nonviable testing supports environmental trend analysis and helps verify airflow and filtration performance.
- Temperature and humidity mapping: Maintaining consistent environmental conditions is crucial to many lab and cleanroom environments. TSS performs temperature and relative humidity mapping studies to assess environmental consistency and verify that spaces remain within required tolerances.
- Microbial identification: When microorganisms are detected, TSS provides detailed identification using Gram staining and MALDI-TOF technology. Understanding the organism type and characteristics allows facilities to investigate sources, assess risk, and determine appropriate control or remediation strategies.
TSS employs a variety of industry-standard collection and analysis methods to meet our clients’ environmental monitoring needs. All sampling is performed using calibrated NIST-traceable equipment and validated microbiological media, with methodologies designed to align with ISO, USP and ASTM specifications. Our laboratory processes ensure data integrity throughout the workflow, and each project includes detailed, audit-ready reporting to support regulatory and quality requirements.
Every test and laboratory procedure is reviewed through TSS’s internal quality assurance program to ensure accurate and timely results. Results are delivered in a structured formal report suitable for quality audits, investigations, and long-term environmental trends.
TSS is a flexible partner, providing monitoring programs that are customized to meet our clients’ specific needs. No matter the facility type, cleanroom class, or process risk, we make sure no element of monitoring is overlooked. We also provide flexible scheduling, precise reporting, expert data interpretation, and support for continuous improvement efforts.
CONTACT TSS today to discuss your specific needs or schedule service.
