Air/Exhaust Handling at the Biotechnology Development Center at Emory West BSL2 labs at the Biotechnology Development Center at Emory West will have biosafety cabinets which provide protection for lab workers and the environment. These cabinets use filters to capture particles .3 micron in diameter or larger. Air that circulates back out of the cabinets after being filtered is cleaner than air in your home or office; the filters capture the particles and none are introduced into the room or exhaust system. Periodically, the filters are changed in a tightly regulated process. Emory operates 350 biosafety cabinets on campus. For chemical fume hoods in chemical labs, the air is exhausted from the lab building by powerful jet-engine-like fans on the top of the building. The air may contain microscopic amounts of chemicals that are vaporized immediately. There are numerous chemical fume hoods in use on Emory's campus. For biological research, BSL2 labs have a single pass air system; the air is not re-circulated to other parts of the building. There are 10-12 air changes per hour, one about every 5 minutes (typical home and office air changes are 3-5 times per hour). This huge dilution factor, in conjunction with the biosafety cabinets that filter the air, protect the lab worker and the environment. For the modular units planned for Emory West, the chemistry unit will have one or more fume hoods to handle vapors generated by the various methods utilized in synthetic organic chemistry. Return to Emory West Master Plan Return to Campus Growth and Development

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