Particulate and Gaseous Contamination in Data Centers

This chapter briefly introduces standards, airborne contaminants (particulate and gaseous), and, most of all, measurement methods that are described along with a study (i.e., survey type study in real operating data centers) on how the conventional technologies should be approached to improve air quality monitoring by a simple economical method. Most data centers adhere to the following standards or guidelines: ISO 14644‐1 and ANSI/ISA‐71.04. While ISO 14644‐1 addresses particulate contaminants, ANSI/ISA‐71.04 addresses gaseous composition environmental limits in 1985. Gas‐phase filtration systems are recommended by ASHRAE for data centers with higher gaseous contamination levels. Airborne contaminants can be split into two distinct categories: particulate and gaseous. They can penetrate into the data centers whether they are of traditional closed design or utilize free air cooling, and in large concentrations, the contaminants may degrade electronic components.