Some people are using the term “Hood” to cover Fume Hoods and Biosafety Cabinets. To ensure that you choose the proper hood for your application, let's examine their differences as they're used for different purposes. Each of them also has 2 major sub-categories: A2 and B2 for Biosafety Cabinets, and Ductless and Ducted for Fume Hoods. Below are the technical differences between the four types:
| Equipment Type | |||
| Class II Type A2 Biological Safety Cabinet (BSC) | Class II Type B2 Biological Safety Cabinet (BSC) | Ductless Fume Hood | Ducted Fume Hood | Application |
| For handling pathogens. When optionally ducted: small amount of naturally evaporating non-corrosive, volatile organic chemicals. | For handling pathogens. It has built-in ducting to handle medium amount of heated, noncorrosive, volatile organic chemicals. |
For handling medium amount of naturally evaporating, mildly corrosive, limited range of chemicals matching the carbon filter, no pathogens. | For handling medium amount of naturally evaporating, mildly corrosive, limited range of chemicals matching the carbon filter, no pathogens. | Protection Offered |
Operation protection against biohazards inside. Product protection against outside contaminants. |
Operator protection against biohazards and chemicals inside. Product protection against outside contaminants. |
Operator protection against chemicals inside, but not pathogens, and no product protection against contaminants. |
Operator protection against chemicals inside, but not pathogens, and no product protection against contaminants. |
Airflow |
| About 2/3 of air from the plenum is recirculated as downflow, and 1/3 is exhausted into the lab through exhaust HEPA filter. | 100% exhausted outside the building through exhaust HEPA filter, with no recirculation back into the work zone. | 100% exhausted into the lab through exhaust Carbon filter. | 100% exhausted outside the building without any filter, hence risk assessment of what is being dumped into the outside environment is suggested. | Requirements |
| N/A | Ducting, rooftop exhaust blower | N/A | Ducting, rooftop exhaust blower |
| Filtration | |||
| Exhaust and downflow HEPA filters | Exhaust and downflow HEPA filters | Exhaust Carbon filters | No filters at all |
| Restrictions | |||
|
No corrosive chemicals. Even when ducted, this is not for forcibly evaporated chemicals due to air recirculation back to the work zone. |
No corrosive chemicals. | Not for handling pathogens, sterile samples, and forcibly evaporated or highly corrosive chemicals. |
Not for handling pathogens and sterile samples. |
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Esco Technologies, Inc.
Scientific Division
903 Sheehy Drive, Suite F, Horsham, PA 19044, USA
Toll-Free USA and Canada: 1-877-479-3726
215-441-9661
484-698-7757
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