Importance of fume hoods in lab ventilation and safety

Chemicals that are hazardous, odorous or gaseous can be a problem for lab personnel. Those who work in a lab with such chemicals may well need the presence of different types of fume hood in order to ensure cleaner, fresher air. Many lab furniture manufacturers offer complete built-in fume hood solutions with integrated storage as well as work surfaces. There are several kinds of fume hoods which are manufactured based on distinct chemicals that may be present in the air of a laboratory.

Fume hoods come in two main types namely recirculating and ducted. A recirculating fume hood draws the air from around an experiment into a built-in filter and then releases the purified air back into the lab. While a ducted fume hood has the air drawn from it and into a ventilation system, where it is cleaned and then released outside of the building.

Many some materials used for lab furniture will show signs of rust, breakage or corrosion when being exposed to the chemicals in a laboratory. Hence, proper selection of lab fume hood material is important. The life and quality of the hood increases if it is made with a material such as polypropylene because it can stay in the lab and experience the chemical fumes for an extended period of time without showing erosion or rust. Epoxy coated furniture can also resist wear and tear when exposed to severe airborne chemicals in a lab.

Because one side (the front) of a fume hood is frank to the room occupied via the user, and the atmosphere within the fume hood is potentially infected, the proper flow of atmosphere from the room into the hood is severe to its function. Much of fume hood plan and mission is emphasized on maximizing the proper containment of the atmosphere and smoke within the fume hood.

As majority fume hoods are planned to join to exhaust systems that expel the atmosphere immediately to the surface of a construction, great quantities of energy are needed to run fans that exhaust the atmosphere, and to warmth, cool, filter, composure and shift the atmosphere that shall displace the atmosphere exhausted. Significant recent exertions in fume hood and ventilation system plan have emphasized on dampening the energy accustomed to operate fume hoods and their advocating ventilation systems.

Laboratory fume hoods thus become mandatory safety equipment to shield lab workers from toxic fumes and to protect the specimen.