“Experiment is the ladder of human progress” – but the ladder must stand on solid, safe ground.
As chemists we readily spot the dramatic dangers: conc. acids, volatile toxics, compounds on the hazard list. We drop them in a hood and feel protected. What we miss are the quiet, low-dose exposures that happen every day at the open bench or beneath a weak canopy hood. Micro- doses inhaled again and again can end as chronic asthma, dermatitis, pulmonary oedema – or cancer decades later.
To avoid these slow dangers, it’s essential to learn as much as possible about how to work safely in the laboratory environment!
Start with thoroughly familiar with the PEL-TWA (Permissible Exposure Limit-Time Weighted Average) of the chemicals you handle! It tells us how much vapour a worker can breathe 8 h d⁻¹, 40 h wk⁻¹, for a 40-year career without expected adverse effect…
The lower the PEL, the riskier the chemical!
Moreover, your chemistry laboratory is not an ordinary workplace: hundreds of chemicals may be used within a very limited space. PEL-TWA values are established for individual chemicals and apply to single-substance inhalation, not accounting for cumulative exposure—which is common in laboratories. For mixtures of chemicals, PEL-TWA limits cannot be precisely determined. Additionally, if safety authorities find that certain chemicals are more hazardous than previously thought, the PEL-TWA values will be revised downward accordingly.
Because mixtures cannot be predicted, the only defensible target is to keep every single component < 1 % of its PEL-TWA!
But how?
- Regardless of dose or toxicity, always handle chemicals inside an effective fume hood—either ducted fume hoods or ductless filtering fume hoods.
- Ensure that your fume hood is safe.
Face velocity, flow pattern, sash position, filter saturation, user handling assessment, maintenance records matter as much as the hood itself.
Erlab Filtering Fume Hood
- Exclusive Integration– Equipped with Neutrodine® Unisorb filters, delivering full-spectrum protection against 700+ chemicals
- Trusted Worldwide – Adopted by top lab furniture providers to deliver turnkey solutions
- Simplified Design – No ducts. No complex HVAC. Easy to integrate into any lab system for flexible, sustainable layouts.
- Proven Performance – Protects researchers, eliminates emissions, reduces energy costs, and supports green standards like LEED and ZNE.
- Seamless Adaptability – Available in widths from 900–2400 mm, ideal for new builds, retrofits, mobile setups, or multi-use spaces.
