DEFINITIONS & HISTORY: CLEANROOM ORIGINS

It was the impact of the Second World War that fully focused serious attention on the problems of airborne infections. Crowded air raid shelters, submarines and army hospitals (just to name a few) all demanded knowledge of the patterns of airflow.

Air filter efficiency and overall ventilation became critical concerns, and increasingly complicated manufacturing techniques created the need for more and more sophisticated and stringent controls.

Photo of WW II medic and patient.
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Florida Space Research Institute ©2002