AIR > Details

Air quality is regulated by the federal government under the Clean Air Act and the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. Laboratory hoods are intended to hold or capture airborne hazards and remove them from the work area of the lab to protect lab personnel. The hazardous components may pass through some type of filtering system but are frequently discharged to the outside air. In many cases, the air emissions of relatively small amounts of chemicals are subject to few environmental regulations.

In 1990, the Clean Air Act (CAA) was amended to add a section (Section 112) to specifically address hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). Approximately 190 HAPS are listed in the section and many common lab chemicals such as formaldehyde, methylene chloride and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are included in the list. At the federal level, air emission limits for most HAPs are high enough (10 tons per year for individual HAPs and 25 tons per year for a combination of HAPs from all sources at a lab combined) that most research activities performed in laboratory hoods are not regulated under the CAA at the federal level.

However, many states and local governments also regulate air emissions. It is important that researchers check with their EH&S departments or state and local regulatory agencies to establish what requirements may apply to laboratory hoods. In some cases there may be local or state permit or registration requirements to emit specific chemicals or materials. Other considerations include the potential emission of radionuclides, regulated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and emission of biological organisms often regulated by state and local agencies.

To assess what regulations may apply, pollution prevention opportunities and occupational and environmental health issues, institutions should prepare and maintain a list of actual and potential air emissions from all sources within the institution including laboratory hoods. Some institutions have implemented internal notification requirements for certain experiments that involve the potential emission of HAPs, radionuclides or biological materials.

Full text of regulations promulgated under the CAA (40 CFR 50-97) can be found at: