HEPA filter hood

Michaelle Biddle <mbiddle [at] wesleyan__edu> writes

>Does any book conservation lab have experience using a HEPA filter
>hood instead of a conventional fume hood?  If so I'd appreciate
>hearing the pros and cons of doing so.  Many thanks,

I am not a book conservator specifically but I have used a HEPA
filter hood in a paper conservation lab.  It was a modified
biological containment chamber with a pre-filter plus the HEPA
filter.  It was mounted on wheels and sized to fit through the doors
and onto the freight elevator so it could be moved throughout the
institution if desired.  Like a chemical fume hood it had a glass
door that could pull down to increase air draw and protect the
operator.  Even when used heavily for periods of time the filters
did not require replacement more than once a year and the unit
operated very efficiently.

We used it for cleaning very dirty materials and items infected with
mould and found it very effective for that.  The conventional ducted
fume hood was used for any work involving chemicals.

Iona McCraith
Preservation Consultant
Bethany, Ontario
705-277-1309
Fax: 705-277-2091


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 16:60
                 Distributed: Thursday, April 10, 2003
                       Message Id: cdl-16-60-007
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