Biotech safety cabinets to prevent airborne diseases are associated with which biosafety level?

• A. BSL-1
• B. BSL-3
• C. BSL-4
• D. BSL-2

Answer: (B)

Airborne exposure is a major driver for using containment devices like biosafety cabinets. These cabinets filter air through HEPA and create directional airflow to keep aerosols from escaping into the workspace, protecting both the worker and the environment. Biosafety levels define what pathogens and risk scenarios require that level of containment. For pathogens that can be transmitted through the air and cause serious disease, the appropriate level relies on using such containment, which is characteristic of the higher, but not the extreme, end of the spectrum. While the highest level (BSL-4) uses even stricter containment, the standard association for preventing airborne disease exposure with a cabinet is the level designed for serious inhalation risks. That makes the correct level the one that specifically handles airborne pathogens with cabinet containment.