by Dr. Ron Najafi, CEO and Founder of Emery Pharma, Founder of CP Lab Safety; and Dr. Mark L. Nelson, Vice President of Business and Science Development, CP Lab Chemicals
Toxic vapors and fumes can leak out of labs unnoticed into the atmosphere and cause health issues, safety hazards, and environmental harm. Many of these chemical vapors lack a detectable odor and are invisible to the naked eye, yet they can escape into the lab and become unnoticeably inhaled. Even some solvents that do have an odor are ignored, as lab workers acclimate to them when they are exposed daily; they tend to stop noticing the smell and become unaware of how much they are releasing into the atmosphere, contributing to the pollution of the planet. Chemical vapors can be lighter or heavier than air, causing them to rise or to sink down and sit near the floor. What’s more, flammable vapors loose in the lab can ignite if there is enough oxygen and an ignition source nearby.
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