Biosafety Cabinets (BSCs) are enclosed
workspaces with a ventilated hood that is designed to contain pathogenic
microorganisms during microbiological processes.
The primary purpose of biosafety cabinets is
to protect the laboratory personnel and the environment from the pathogenic
microorganism as aerosols might be formed during the processing of such
microorganisms.
Biosafety cabinets are only used for certain
risk group organisms and for processes that might result in aerosol formation.
These cabinets are provided with HEPA-filters
that decontaminate the air moving out of the cabinet.
Biosafety cabinets might be confused with the
laminar hood as both of these pieces of equipment work as enclosed workspaces. But
laminar hood only provides protection to the sample and not to the personnel
and the environment, whereas biosafety cabinets protect all three.
The use of biosafety cabinets or other such
physical containment is not required in the biosafety level 1, but depending on
the risk assessment, some processes might require such containment.
BSCs are an essential part of biosafety as
they minimize the formation of aerosol, protecting the environment, the
pathogen, and the laboratory personnel.
Besides, most BSCs also function to sterilize
biological materials that are kept inside the cabinets