The fume hood is a vital component of the modern laboratory. You can find a number of different forms of fume hoods in the market these days. You must get one that can meet your specific lab requirements and budget. The main function in the fume hood is to reduce the presence of toxic fumes in the lab working environment. These fumes are extremely dangerous for lab workers and are quite hazardous to life. Hence, these fumes need to be removed in order to ensure that the lab environment is absolutely safe. Fume hoods can do just this, remove the toxic fumes and protect the lab workers from harm. This small article will help you learn more about lab fume hoods.
What are the different types of fume hoods?
You can find several types of lab fume hoods in the market. Some of the best fume hoods include ducted fume hoods, polypropylene fume hoods, biosafety cabinets, PCR enclosures and so on. You will need to understand how these fume hoods function so that you may choose the best fume hood for your lab.
Bio-safety and PCR Enclosure Fume Hoods:
These fume hoods are hybrid models. They can easily handle all types of sensitive materials and protect the lab worker. These fume hoods purify the airflow through HEPA filters as the air enters and goes out of the hood. Hence, it will ensure complete protection of the fume hood and can be quite effective when using with biologically toxic elements.
Ducted Fume Hood:
These fume hoods can offer a lot of protection because they are equipped with ventilation systems that are located on the outside of the lab environment. These types of ventilation systems can be quite useful in labs that are chemically toxic and create a lot of dangerous fumes. In a lot of ducted fume hoods, there is a system of by-pass that can help to provide consistent airflow in multiple sash positions. Such a design can provide a lot of protection to the workers and will not consume too much energy.
Ductless Fume Hoods:
In a ductless fume hood, you will have larger enclosures in which the contaminated air will pass through multiple filters and get purified. The air will then be returned to the room. Such filters are useful in labs where it is difficult to get ventilation from outside. These fume hoods can remove a lot of toxic particulate matter and can reduce toxic wastes. You can use these fume hoods when you have low ventilation in your lab. These fumes will offer maximum safety and are easy to monitor.
Extractor Systems:
In these fume hoods, you will find a better ventilation system towards the center or source of the contamination. The extractor system is positioned in such a way that it can facilitate the easy and quick removal of all fumes and airborne particulate matter. Such systems can be used in labs where you do not have the infrastructure for installing conventional hoods inside the labs. You can use these hoods if you have a small lab.
Polypropylene Fume Hoods
Polypropylene is an extremely versatile and highly useful polymer that can be used for different types of lab applications. It will be able to give you flexibility in the lab because it is lightweight and has impermeable barriers and casings which can improve its appearance and the safety of the lab. Polypropylene can be used as a coating in various fume hoods and it will offer increased efficiency for cabinets that have vented bases that are used to store chemicals and acids.
How should you choose your fume hood?
You need to choose your fume hood depending upon various factors like the location of your lab, the dimension and layout of your working environment, the number of workers in the lab, the type of experiments that you do in the lab, and lastly, the type of chemicals used and stored in your lab. Depending upon these factors, you need to find a fume hood that can best serve your requirements and also fit your budget.
Your lab equipment supplier can give you proper guidance in choosing the right lab fume hood because they have the necessary experience in being able to recommend you correctly on this matter. You can buy high-quality laboratory fume hoods from both online and offline stores. However, online stores will offer you better deals and more discounts.
Conclusion
Laboratory fume hoods are important in modern labs because they ensure safety. Choose a lab fume hood after consulting with your supplier.
