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Enclosures designed to provide a confined environment for the delivery and/or exhaustion of gases, vapors, and/or particles. Hoods are typically made of rigid plastics or metal (e.g., stainless steel); they are frequently connected by hoses or ducts to gas sources to provide a controlled atmosphere inside the hood and/or to exhaust gases and vapors to the outside. Some hoods include blowers, filters, and other devices according to the procedure to be performed or the protection needed for a particular application; ductless hoods recirculate the air inside the hood to the room environment after appropriate filtration. Hoods are used in the performance of procedures such as distillation and chemical reactions isolated from the general room environment and/or to exhaust toxic fumes from areas where hazardous or potentially hazardous materials are manipulated (e.g., clinical laboratories). Laboratory hoods are not biological safety enclosures; they should not be used when infectious or potentially infectious materials are handled.
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