A chemical fume hood protects the user while a biosafety cabinet protects the user, the environment, and the material. Biosafety cabinets have high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters while chemical fume hoods do not.
Fume hoods and biological safety cabinets (BSC) are not interchangeable because they have different functions. Fume hoods are designed to remove chemical fumes and aerosols away from the work area. ... BSCs cannot be used for work with volatile chemicals or radioactive materials.
A fume hood is a ventilated enclosure in which gases, vapors and fumes are contained. An exhaust fan situated on the top of the laboratory building pulls air and airborne contaminants through connected ductwork and exhausts them to the atmosphere.