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The effect of the body wake and operator motion on the containment of nanometer-scale airborne substances using a conventional fume hood and specially designed enclosing hood: a comparison using computational fluid dynamics

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Abstract

Airborne substances in the nanoparticle size range would mostly follow the primary airflow patterns, which emphasizes the importance of understanding the airflow dynamics to effectively control exposures to toxic airborne substances such as nanometer-sized particles. Chemical fume hoods are being utilized as primary controls for worker exposure to airborne substances including nanometer-scale materials due to their overall availability and history of effective contaminant. This study evaluates the impact of the body wake on the containment performance of a conventional constant air volume (CAV) and a new “nano” ventilated enclosing hood using numerical methods. Numerical studies have been performed to predict leaks of nanomaterials handled inside the hood. We further performed experiments in this study to validate the velocity fields predicted by the computational fluid dynamic (CFD) models and to provide a basis for evaluating the impact of the human body on fume hood containment performance. Using these validated models, the effects of the motion of the arms moving out of the hood were simulated using CFD to assess how one of the common actions of an operator/user may affect containment. Results of our simulations show that areas near the hood side airfoils and directly behind the sash are more likely to concentrate contaminants released inside the hood and potentially result in leakage based on internal airflow patterns. These areas are key to monitor when assessing fume hood containment along with the operator/mannequin breathing zone to get an understanding of potential leak areas which might contribute to operator exposure as well as exposure to others inside the laboratory.

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source at center of hood with a) nano hood with no arm motion. b) nano hood with 2.5 m/s arm motion. c) CAV hood with no arm motion and d) CAV hood with 2.5 m/s arm motion. The trajectories are colorized by red if they are released from the side source and blue if they are released from the center source

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the financial support of the technical contract titled “Computational fluid dynamics analysis of ventilated enclosures for the handling of nanomaterials” provided by National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for this project. Dr. Kevin Dunn was supported by NIOSH for this manuscript.

The findings and conclusions in this manuscript are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mention of a specific product or company does not constitute endorsement by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, College of Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA

    Chen Shen, David S. Dandy & Candace Su-Jung Tsai

  2. Engineering and Physical Hazards Branch, Division of Applied Research and Technology, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH, USA

    Kevin H. Dunn & James S. Bennett

  3. Department of Work Environment, College of Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, USA

    Susan R. Woskie & Michael J. Ellenbecker

  4. Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Candace Su-Jung Tsai

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  1. Chen Shen
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  2. Kevin H. Dunn
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  3. Susan R. Woskie
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  4. James S. Bennett
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  5. Michael J. Ellenbecker
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  7. Candace Su-Jung Tsai
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Correspondence to Chen Shen or Kevin H. Dunn.

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Candace Su-Jung Tsai is the project Principal Investigator of a contract with the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

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Shen, C., Dunn, K.H., Woskie, S.R. et al. The effect of the body wake and operator motion on the containment of nanometer-scale airborne substances using a conventional fume hood and specially designed enclosing hood: a comparison using computational fluid dynamics. J Nanopart Res 24, 79 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-022-05445-z

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