Hi everyone,

We are looking to renovate a Genetics teaching lab that has the students using ethyl ether to put fruit flies asleep. This is a common method of doing this, put certainly has its drawbacks when you consider the ventilation strategy (ether vapor is very heavy).

I’m wondering if anyone has been successful in having 12-14 student stations using this chemical in a teaching setting (on the bench) and keeping the exposures and smell down? Keeping in mind that fruit flies will get sucked up into local exhaust if they are too close!…

In addition to floor level exhaust diffusers, what else would you recommend and how many air exchanges for the room?

 

Thanks!

Ellen

 

P.S. I’m pushing for CO2, but may not get what I want.

 

 

Ellen Sweet

Laboratory Ventilation Specialist

Department of Environmental Health and Safety, Cornell University

American Chemical Society, Division of Chemical Health and Safety

315-730-8896