C (E3) 08/2015 page 20/93
Notes on handling carbon dioxide (CO
2
)
Carbon dioxide (CO
2
) in high concentrations is hazardous to health. It is colorless and almost odorless
and therefore practically imperceptible. Vent out any CO
2
gas that may escape via good room ventilation
or a suitable connection to an exhaust system. We recommend installing a CO
2
warning system.
WARNING
High concentration of CO
2
(> 4 Vol.-%).
Danger of death by suffocation.
Danger of poisoning.
∅ Do NOT set up units in non-ventilated recesses.
Ensure technical ventilation measures.
Observe the relevant regulations for handling CO
2
.
Observe the occupational exposure limit OEL for CO
2
set by the national authorities (formerly maxi-
mum permitted workplace concentration). Check compliance when operating all units located in the room.
• OEL for Germany: 5000 ml/m3 (ppm) = 0,5 Vol.-%
• CO
2
lost with each door opening: about 16.4 g, i.e. 0.0084 cubic meters / 0.296 cubic feet (under nor-
mal pressure)
• CO
2
lost during 12h at 5 vol.-% without door opening: approx. < 2 g, i.e. 0.001 cubic meters / 0.035
cubic feet (under normal pressure 1013 mbar / 14.7 psi)
An example of how to evaluate laboratory volume and air change rate:
Question: Is an air change rate of 1/h sufficient for a lab with a volume of 100 cubic meters / 3,531.5
cubic feet with 10 incubators C 170, opened 4 times per hour?
Calculation: CO
2
concentration = CO
2
lost by door opening, multiplied by 10 units, multiplied by 4 door
openings per hour, divided by lab volume
0.0084 cubic meters x 10 x 4 div. 100 cubic meters = 0.00336, i.e. 0.336% or 3360 ppm.
0.296 cubic feet x 10 x 4 div. 3,531.5 cubic feet = 0.00336, i.e. 0.336% or 3360 ppm.
Result: The maximum permissible value of 5000 ppm is not exceeded under these operation conditions.
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