The Impact of Air Inflow and Interfering Factors on the Performance of Microbiological Safety Cabinets

The operator protection factor (OPF) of four biological safety cabinets (BSCs) has been measured under standard and suboptimal conditions.

The OPF for one BSC1, two BSC2, and an acid-fast bacilli staining station (AFBSS) was measured using the potassium iodide method for in situ testing of BSCs (CEN12469) over a range of inflow velocities under standard conditions and with common interfering factors (fans, opening doors, and walk pasts).

The BSC1 and the AFBSS gave a high level of protection under standard test conditions at all airflows (down to 0.3 and 0.38 m/s, respectively). During interfering processes, the BSC1 and AFBSS gave a high level of protection (OPF >10⁵) at the specified inward airflow. At lower airflows, there was a predictable deterioration in performance. There was a significant difference in performance between the two BSC2s tested, with one model passing all tests under all interfering conditions at all airflows. The second BSC2 failed the standard test at the lowest airflow and provided poor levels of protection (OPF <10⁵) in all tests carried out with interfering processes.

Although BSC2s are capable of giving a high level of performance, this is design dependent and the BSC1 and AFBSS give a more predictable level of performance due to their simpler design. In environments where BSC certification is not possible, they may provide more robust and sustainable primary containment.