Unless you're in a magical world where hood space is more widely available than PAC money, I'd have to say that safety/ventilation etc. is way down the list for most PI's. In many all of the labs I've worked in, hood space is too valuable (i.e. scarce) to take up with a rotovap, and a rotavap setup is so bulky and difficult to move it would impractical to move it into a hood if you had something really nasty. In that case, we'd instead remove the solvent with a vacuum/Schlenk line that is already in the hood.
That said, one should always set up proper traps, pumps, venting and safety shields for rotavaps used on an open bench top. I assume various places have SOP's for that.
Rob Toreki
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Safety Emporium - Lab & Safety Supplies featuring brand names
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Random question for the morning:
What factors determine whether a rotovap should be used in a hood or not?
Thanks for any feedback on this.
- Ralph
Ralph Stuart, CIH, CCHO
Chemical Hygiene Officer
Keene State College
ralph.stuart**At_Symbol_Here**keene.edu
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