CONTAINMENT AND VENTILATION IN ADVANCED LABORATORIES

Preview This section follows Section 7.1.3 and discusses additional features of chemical hoods, other means by which lab air is kept safe to breathe, and personal protective equipment used to avoid breathing contaminated air. 

What lessons can be learned from this incident  

Section 7.1.3 provided an introduction to the design and use of modern chemical hoods. Knowing basic procedures for using hoods correctly is an essential skill for any chemist working in a lab. However, there is more to know about hoods and lab ventilation in general that is important when working in advanced and research labs. 

Most of the discussion below assumes that you are working in a relatively modern laboratory. By this we mean that the lab itself is supplied with HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) and that there is at least some kind of chemical hood available. Some older labs may have chemical hoods but their design and function may be well below the standards that are used today. Nonetheless, the available hoods are the ones that you have to use (or choose not to use ) in any lab, so it is smart to understand completely what quality of hood you are using and to use it wisely. 

It is unlikely that you will ever find yourself working in a lab without conditioned air or some means by which the overall atmosphere in the lab is constantly being refreshed. The rate at which, on average, the 

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