The California Occupational Safety and Health Administration has granted University of California – San Diego and nine other UC system campuses an exception from using potent greenhouse gases to safety-test lab fume hoods, due to the toxic effect of the gases on the global climate, according to an NCTimes report.
The campuses are now permitted to test with nitrous oxide instead. Nitrous oxide has about 1 percent of the global warming potential of sulfur hexafluoride, or SF6, the gas previously used to test the hoods.
UCSD has developed protocols for using nitrous oxide for testing, given that the gas poses a certain risk to humans because of its potential for neurotoxicity.
The fume hood retrofitting is part of UCSD's initiative to reduce energy consumption. According to the university, the retrofitted hoods will use around 40 percent less energy.
Read the NCTimes report on UCSD.
Related Articles on Anesthesia:
New York Anesthesiologist Brings Fraud Case Against Sutter Hospitals, Payors
ASA Introduces White Paper on Anesthesia Information Management Systems
Anesthesia Information Management Companies to Battle Over Market Share
The campuses are now permitted to test with nitrous oxide instead. Nitrous oxide has about 1 percent of the global warming potential of sulfur hexafluoride, or SF6, the gas previously used to test the hoods.
UCSD has developed protocols for using nitrous oxide for testing, given that the gas poses a certain risk to humans because of its potential for neurotoxicity.
The fume hood retrofitting is part of UCSD's initiative to reduce energy consumption. According to the university, the retrofitted hoods will use around 40 percent less energy.
Read the NCTimes report on UCSD.
Related Articles on Anesthesia:
New York Anesthesiologist Brings Fraud Case Against Sutter Hospitals, Payors
ASA Introduces White Paper on Anesthesia Information Management Systems
Anesthesia Information Management Companies to Battle Over Market Share