Clearing the air: Smarter directional airflow device selection for safety, flexibility, and cost performance

Budget pressure and evolving research protocols are prompting animal facilities to take a fresh look at how directional airflow devices are selected — and a clear understanding of the tradeoffs across performance, cost, flexibility, and regulatory obligation can reveal real opportunities to optimize. Timothy Mandrell surveys the full range of devices used in research animal environments — ducted and recirculating BSCs, chemical fume hoods, animal transfer stations, downdraft and backdraft workstations, and updraft snorkels — examining how each functions, where its limitations lie, and how a rigorous procedure-level risk assessment can open up device choices that better match operational realities and institutional resources. Facilities navigating tighter budgets without relaxing safety standards will leave with a sharper framework for making those calls.