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.
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