Introduction to

Ventilation
Overview
General Laboratory Ventilation
Fume Hood Requirements
Materials of Construction
Determining Operating Parameters
Local Instrument Exhaust Systems
Recirculation of Laboratory Atmosphere
Chemical Storage
Hood Placement
Restriction of Airflow
What is laboratory ventilation?

involves the use of

supply and
exhaust ventilation
to control
emissions,
exposures, and
chemical and
biological hazards
General Ventilation

air changes per hour = quantity of air x occupancy

room volume
Major components of laboratory ventilation systems

01 A system of laboratory hoods which provides a specified number of

volume changes for a relatively small volume of space.

The general circulation system which conditions the room air and
02 may provide a specified number of volume changes for the room or
building.
Function of a laboratory hold system

To capture, contain, and expel any emissions generated by any

operation carried out in the hoods
 Function of the general circulation system

This system must

provide enough room
To serve as a atmosphere changes to
general dilution dilute the atmospheric
system concentration of
hazardous materials in
the room to a safe level.
 FUME HOOD
REQUIREMENTS

The one parameter of hood

operation that is commonly
used to evaluate
performance of the hood is
the face velocity
The required hood face velocity will vary between 100 and 150
feet per minute depending on whether the hood is used for
routine operations or hazardous operations

Routine operations are those which involve the use of low

toxicity materials; e.g. ethyl acetate, ethyl ether.
Hazardous operations are those which involve the use
of large quantities of moderately toxic materials or
any quantity of highly toxic material; e.g. any
material with a time-weighted average exposure limit
to 100 parts per million or less, any carcinogen or any
pathogenic microorganisms.
MATERIALS OF
CONSTRUCTION
IMPORTANCE OF KNOWING THE
MATERIALS OF CONSTRUCTION
● COMPATIBILITY,
● REACTION,
● FUNCTION-WISE,
● DURABILITY, and
● SAFETY
FUME HOOD MATERIALS AND DESIGN
Sill
● A radius stainless steel sill is required. It shall be installed at the
bottom of the hood opening and extend back under the sash. An
open area of approximately 1 inch shall be present under the sill
to direct air across the work surface at all sash positions.
Sash Glass
● A fume hood sash is a glass, window-like mechanism that opens
and closes the hood. As the fume hood sash is opened and
closed, airflow is adjusted to optimize the capture and removal
of contaminants.
Interior Linings
● This is made from a number of different types of materials, depending
on designed use.

○ Radioactive use hoods are usually made of rolled and seamless

stainless steel.

○ Chemical use hoods are made of chemical resistant materials.

○ Some older hoods on campus have a transited liner. This material

contains asbestos. This transited liner is safe for use but must not
be drilled, broken or removed by lab staff.
Sash Counterweight System

● These are designed to aid in the movement of the sash.

● Lead or steel weights are attached by cables to the sash to

counter the weight of the sash.
Exterior
● Cold rolled steel shall be used for the hood exterior. All parts
shall be joined together with screws to allow for dismantling
and access for service. After fabrication and before final
assembly, all component parts shall be given an acid, alkali and
solvent resistant finish on both exterior and interior surfaces.
Working Surface

● The working surface shall be molded epoxy or stainless steel. It

shall be recessed not less than ¼ inch deep and have a raised
area on all sides. The raised area across the front of the hood
shall be at least three inches wide.
Lighting Hoods
● Shall be equipped with sufficient fluorescent or incandescent
lighting. The light fixture shall be easily accessible from the
outside of the hood, shall be shielded from the hood interior by
a laminated or tempered glass panel, and shall be vapor sealed.
Determining Operating Parameters

Velometer – an instrument measures the speed of air. It measures the face velocities in hoods that is also a

swinging vane anemometer. It translates air pressure into a velocity reading on a calibrated scale. The instrument is capable of

measuring velocities as low as 50 feet per minute (fpm)

Smoke Tube
- Another device used for testing the effectiveness of hoods.

- Is a glass tube which contains a granular medium on which is absorbed titanium tetracholoride.

- Most useful in visualizing flow patterns.

- When air is passed through the tube, the moisture in the air reacts with the titanium tetracholoride to form hydrochloric acid smoke.
Local instrument exhaust systems
● In the design of any new laboratory facility or in the remodeling of an old facility, it is recommend that provisions for

flexibility in the exhaust system be made.

● The need for local exhaust ventilation occurs frequently in a laboratory operation. Many laboratory instruments and

experiments generate quantities of toxic gases and vapors which should be removed at the point of generation.
Flame spectrometers
● Instruments using flames often generate large quantities of combustion products and may pass varying amounts of

toxic chemicals such as arsenic, mercury, and lead into the atmosphere if the equipment is being used to analyze for

those particular elements.

Recirculation
of laboratory
atmosphere
EXHAUST
S TA C K
Exhaust stack

The fume hood is powered by exhaust fans on the roof that draw air up from the fume hoods

through ducts and push the hood air out the exhaust stack. The exhaust ducting from several

hoods is often connected together before exhausting through the stack.

Placement of exhaust stack

● Exhaust stacks should not be placed in the vicinity of building air intakes or
upwind of any building air intakes.

● Misplacement of these exhaust stacks can cause hazardous materials that

are initially contained in a hood system and exhausted may find their way
back into the general building atmosphere.
Chemical storage

● Examples of fume hood misuse:

1. Storage of toxic and flammable chemical reagents in fume hoods.
2. Fume hoods are not meant to be storage devices (unless specifically designated as
such). Storage of incompatible materials and/or hazardous wastes in fume hoods have caused numerous
accidents, many of which have caused death or injury. 3.Fume hoods are not waste disposals. Do not
let organic chemicals evaporate in the hood - use a proper waste bottle. Do not leave uncapped
bottles of chemicals or waste in a hood.
4.Never block the air flow. The slats/baffles in the rear of the hood are part of the air
flow system. Obstructing these by storing chemicals, apparatus and garbage in the hood can interfere with
the safe operation of the hood.
HOOD Placement and
Restriction of air flow
HOOD PLACEMENT
● Place the fume hood in an area free from disruption
● Do not place the fume hood next to doorway and hallway
Restriction of air flow
● The fume hood will not perform up to design specifications if the air supply is restricted.

Causes
● Make up air supply is not sufficient
● Motor performance drops
● Air ducts become partially plugged or corroded