Biological Testing Laboratory

Controlling contaminants in lab settings with fume hoods

In laboratory settings, contaminants can not only ruin experimental results and product quality but also endanger the health and safety of laboratory occupants. With personnel at risk for contact with chemical and biological hazards, it's crucial that lab supervisors account for all contaminants and use proper engineering controls, such as air purification systems for toxic gases. Here are ways to prevent contamination in laboratory settings:

Remove sources of lab culture contamination

Research universities and facilities that pride themselves on having a high-quality lab should have personnel who have been trained to perform their work with a fume hood to remove sources of contamination, such as viruses called phages. Alison Buchan,  associate professor of microbiology at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, told Lab Manager Magazine that contamination of lab cultures is a constant worry.

"We often work with environmental samples and use molecular tools to ask what microbes are in our samples," Buchan said. "So the last thing we want is airborne contaminants or nucleic acid contamination from the benchtop or pipettes getting into our samples and destroying the natural microbial community we are interested in investigating."

Fume hoods are effective in filtering out airborne contaminants and releasing clean air in their place for a safe and productive environment. In addition to dust and smoke, fume hoods can also remove fumes and vapors that may endanger worker health.

Maintain a controlled environment with fume hoods

Utilizing a fume hood to maintain a controlled environment can be essential in case issues arise during lab work, according to Scott Sutton, principal of Microbiology Network, Inc., in an interview with Lab Manager Magazine. These issues can include contamination from lab personnel not knowing how to use a fume hood correctly.