One of the most versatile pieces of equipment in a modern science lab is the humble fume hood, which has the job of moving noxious odors and particles out of the air. These work similarly to the commercial-grade hoods installed above stoves, but they’re even more important than those used in kitchens as the following facts show.
1. Eliminate Potentially Hazardous Chemical Residue
Some chemical reactions fill the air with toxic particles. These can cause injury to lab workers if a powerful enough fume hood isn’t in service whenever the reaction occurs. For this reason, many people leave the hood running throughout the course of an experiment. By reducing the amount of residue found in the inside air supply, lab workers can greatly cut back on the amount of risk of developing serious respiratory issues.
2. Get Rid Of Noxious Odors
Quite possibly the first thing that comes to mind when someone thinks of a fume hood is the ability to get rid of bad smells, which can be downright dangerous in a lab. These are vented out of the air exhaust so that people inside of a lab don’t have to continuously smell them. Being exposed to bad smells on a constant basis can actually make people light-headed, which is a serious hazard.
3. Protect The Integrity Of Results
Without high-quality laboratory equipment, researchers can’t trust that the results they’re getting back are actually valid. There’s always a chance that residual materials from a previous experiment could be impacting the latest ones. Scientific spaces have to stay clean at all times, which is why it’s important to have a working fume hood that’s strong enough to eliminate the possibility of contamination in a given space.
4. To Satisfy Regulatory Requirements
Even if someone had wanted to forgo a fume hood for whatever reason, there’s a good possibility that they wouldn’t be allowed to legally operate their lab if they did. Academic and commercial scientific spaces have to abide by certain rules. As a result, it’s vital that these remain in place and can be proven operational. Some regulators will require users to make various types of maintenance checks every once in a while so they can be certain that the equipment is working as expected. This is especially true of any laboratory that receives public money, which is normally held to an even higher standard.
5. Cut Down On Other Types of Maintenance
Since chemical agents can be corrosive, not using a fume hood might actually damage other equipment in a laboratory. In a worst-case scenario, it might even ruin the finish on the walls or furniture. Simply switching on a working hood can stop this problem from happening, which in turn will reduce how much work it takes to keep a lab in good order. That’s especially important for those who don’t have huge budgets and can’t keep requisitioning new equipment every single time something goes wrong.
Considering just how little work it is to install and operate a fume hood, there’s really no reason not to have one.