A fume hood is an enclosed work space in a laboratory that prevents the outward flow of air. Fume hoods cab be designed for work with inorganic or radioactive materials, or with biological materials. Biological fume hoods can be equipped with filters, to ensure that the air entering and exiting the cabinet is sterile. This minimizes the risk of exposure of laboratory personnel to biological agents that could be a health threat. Also, the work surfaces and materials inside the fume hood are protected from contamination from airborne bacteria or viruses. The latter is of particular relevance in some viral research, where the tissue surfaces used to grow the virus are prone to contamination.

The design of fume hoods differs, depending on the intended purpose (general purpose, chemical, radioisotope, biological). But all fume hoods share the feature of an inward flow of air. In biological fume...