How Data Loggers Can Be Used to Monitor the Humidity Levels in Pharmaceutical Storage Areas
Like with temperature, there is always the need to monitor the humidity levels of pharmaceutical storage areas. Otherwise, products risk losing efficacy, and the chances of complete degradation are vast. Learn how data loggers can be used to monitor the humidity levels in pharmaceutical storage areas.
Key takeaways
- Too high or low humidity levels can compromise the efficacy of pharmaceutical products
- Monitoring humidity levels is essential for preventing static buildup, contamination due to water condensation, and mold growth
- Humidity data loggers are a cost-effective solution that can help ensure compliance with World Health Organization parameters
- Marathon Products offers several humidity data loggers for pharmaceutical storage
Humidity control is a critical concern in any cold chain process, and in the pharmaceutical industry, it is a matter of life and death. Pharmaceutical products are extra sensitive to environmental conditions, particularly temperature and humidity. For instance, too high or too low humidity levels can have damaging consequences, including reduced product shelf life and, worse, product degradation.
So, monitoring and controlling humidity in pharmaceutical areas is critical. Data loggers can help you do that and more.
These devices can provide real-time measurements of the temperature and humidity conditions, allowing you to monitor any changes or fluctuations that could otherwise be detrimental to your products.
Keep reading to discover the importance of humidity data logging in pharmaceutical storage.
Why does humidity level matter in pharmaceutical storage?
Uncontrolled humidity can create static charge buildup inside packaging material, leading to product degradation with additional safety risks. Humidity fluctuations can also reduce the shelf life of pharmaceuticals. And these are just a few of the issues. You also risk far more damage to your company and consumers.
For this reason, the World Health Organization (WHO) has set parameters for the storage conditions of such products, requiring the humidity level to be below 60%. It must always be adhered to keep products safe.
Unfortunately, sometimes you cannot foresee a humidity level fluctuation regardless of your effort to prevent it.
This is when humidity data loggers come to the rescue. They can help by recording temperature and humidity levels regularly, usually between 1-60 minutes. The collected data is stored internally in the device until you can download it for analysis. Why are data loggers crucial in pharmaceutical storage?
Here are why data loggers are crucial in monitoring the humidity levels in pharmaceutical storage areas.
-Get accurate readings
Data loggers are designed to take accurate readings of temperature and humidity levels. A real-time data display can inform users when the levels are outside the acceptable range. The loggers store these data that you can use to track environmental changes. You can also use the information to prove compliance.
-Identify defective products
It is hard to detect mistakes when goods are exposed to too much moisture. Sometimes the moisture is only conspicuous after a package has been opened. Data loggers can detect changes in humidity levels that could lead to product failure or spoilage before any visible signs are present.
These devices will alert you when the level is outside of acceptable parameters set by organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), so you can promptly identify and discard defective products.
-Save on costs
Having the right humidity data logging solution in place can save you money. Data loggers can monitor and alert you when the conditions of storage change so that you can quickly address the issues before they hurt your products and business. In addition, using these devices helps to reduce waste by identifying spoiled goods earlier in the production process before they reach customers.
-Protect patients
Medicinal products are sensitive to moisture and can quickly degrade if exposed to high humidity levels. The major challenge is that you cannot tell that oxidative regeneration or irreversible destabilization of the active ingredients has occurred until it is too late.
This issue increases the risk of offering defective drugs to patients, which can lead to serious medical consequences. To ensure they provide safe and effective treatments, pharmaceutical storage facilities must constantly use humidity data loggers to monitor the environment.
How data loggers can be used to monitor the humidity levels in pharmaceutical storage areas
Data loggers come in different sizes and features based on what parameters you want to monitor. The most critical parameters for pharmaceutical storage areas are humidity and temperature, and data loggers such as EDL-XYZ are designed to measure both.
Data loggers have a temperature thermistor and a very accurate humidity sensor ranging from 0-100%. All you must do is set the desired range for each parameter for easy operation. In this case, you may set the humidity range from 40-60% and the temperature range from 15-30°C.
The other fantastic thing about humidity data loggers is that they will work hard. Simply place the device in the storage area, and it will monitor the humidity levels throughout. The device will record all the changes within a given period, and whenever the humidity levels exceed the predetermined range, it will alert you with an alarm.
The data loggers have extensive memory for data storage, so you can review them anytime. With further examination, you can identify factors triggering the fluctuation and take corrective action.
Improve your humidity monitoring with data loggers from Marathon Products
Humidity control is essential in pharmaceutical storage areas, as an otherwise action may mean reducing shelf life or complete product degradation. The worst case could result in financial losses and, sometimes, reputational damage.
But these are some of the least issues you want to deal with, so it is essential to act fast and right. Using data loggers from Marathon Products to monitor and maintain humidity levels can save you from all these headaches.
We know how big these issues are, so we offer the best, most reliable, and cost-effective humidity data loggers for your pharmaceutical needs. From devices like EDL-BT04 and 3C Temp-RH Temperature & Humidity Logger to various other solutions, we have every tool you need to streamline humidity control in your pharmaceutical storage area.
Don’t hesitate to contact us today to learn more about our selection of humidity data loggers.