In general, laboratory fume hoods are exhaust systems that are designed to keep the user safe from harmful vapors, gases, aerosols or powders when working in the lab. Fume hoods achieve this through a combination of air ventilation and filtration. Most fume hoods can be used across a variety of fields and for limitless applications. However, some fume hoods may be designed with specific applications in mind, such as with forensic powder stations which are used to contain fingerprint development powder.