Although it has long been appreciated that hospital and other health care laboratories make use of toxic, flammable and/or radioactive substances, only limited efforts have been undertaken in the past to provide the hospital laboratory architect and engineer with specific guidance for controlling contaminant emissions from specific laboratory operations.

Consequently, it was decided to investigate operations in histology, cytology, pathology and nuclear medicine laboratories, as well as cobalt therapy and treatment rooms, and to recommend minimum ventilation rates and procedures for optimally collecting and exhausting unwanted gases and vapors from the hospital building.

Subsequent sections of this report describe the approach to the task and present results of the research program. These include general guidelines for exhaust of contaminated air from a building, guidelines for the location of air intakes, and case-by-case recommendations for the control of contaminants generated from specific laboratory operations.