Laser Printers Hazards

abousoun · 08-03-2007

Your Printer May Be Hazardous To Your Health

I've long heard rumors that the fine particulate dust used in laser printer toner cartridges may be a health risk. It certainly makes sense: Not all of that stuff can stick to the paper, and if you've ever spilled toner you know there's no way it can be good for your lungs. Now a controlled study is confirming the information, saying that 30 percent of all laser printers tested emit dangerous particles described as "causing lasting damage on the scale of inhaled cigarette smoke." These tiny particles lodge deep in the lungs and can lead to anything from lung irritation to full-on cancer.

The tests come from an Australian technology university and were conducted in a "large open-plan space," and found that printers could increase particulate matter in the air by up to 500 percent.

While I'm still trying to obtain the list of high vs. low particle emitters from the university, there appears to be a lot of variability among machines and even among different toner cartridges. New cartridges, for example, produce more particle matter than old ones. Printing graphics pages also produces more particle matter than text, since more toner is used, and obviously, air quality gets worse the more pages you spit out. I'll post the full list of printers tested here (or a link to it) as soon as I can obtain one.
The upshot is that printer emissions should potentially be regulated much the way that auto emissions are, but even in the absence of government intervention, use common sense around your printer: Limit use when possible (tell the guy that prints out every single email to cut it out), sequester printers in their own rooms and away from workers, ventilate offices appropriately, and have your own air and printer tested before it becomes a serious health problem.

UPDATE: The full study is available online now
HP LaserJets (the vast majority of the models tested were HPs) appear among both the best and worst on the list. Check it out!

LINK: Printers pose health risks: study
UPDATE: HP responds here

Thank You ...

SysTaMatIcS · 08-03-2007

everything became " hazardous" to our health

might3d · 08-04-2007

oops
i have 3 printers laser_jet

what should i do ? smash them ?

Medusa · 08-09-2007

nop, of course u can give them to me

u should while using them keep as far as u can , ya3ne , not stay near to the printer while printing , and after finish u could come back

08-03-2007	#1
abousoun Registered Member Last Online: 04-16-2011 Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 4,230 Thanks: 2,159 Thanked 3,965 Times in 1,663 Posts Groans: 0 Groaned at 2 Times in 2 Posts	Laser Printers Hazards Your Printer May Be Hazardous To Your Health I've long heard rumors that the fine particulate dust used in laser printer toner cartridges may be a health risk. It certainly makes sense: Not all of that stuff can stick to the paper, and if you've ever spilled toner you know there's no way it can be good for your lungs. Now a controlled study is confirming the information, saying that 30 percent of all laser printers tested emit dangerous particles described as "causing lasting damage on the scale of inhaled cigarette smoke." These tiny particles lodge deep in the lungs and can lead to anything from lung irritation to full-on cancer. The tests come from an Australian technology university and were conducted in a "large open-plan space," and found that printers could increase particulate matter in the air by up to 500 percent. While I'm still trying to obtain the list of high vs. low particle emitters from the university, there appears to be a lot of variability among machines and even among different toner cartridges. New cartridges, for example, produce more particle matter than old ones. Printing graphics pages also produces more particle matter than text, since more toner is used, and obviously, air quality gets worse the more pages you spit out. I'll post the full list of printers tested here (or a link to it) as soon as I can obtain one. The upshot is that printer emissions should potentially be regulated much the way that auto emissions are, but even in the absence of government intervention, use common sense around your printer: Limit use when possible (tell the guy that prints out every single email to cut it out), sequester printers in their own rooms and away from workers, ventilate offices appropriately, and have your own air and printer tested before it becomes a serious health problem. UPDATE: The full study is available online now HP LaserJets (the vast majority of the models tested were HPs) appear among both the best and worst on the list. Check it out! LINK: Printers pose health risks: study UPDATE: HP responds here Thank You ... __________________ Jess' Signature

08-03-2007	#2
SysTaMatIcS Registered Member Last Online: 10-14-2022 Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 10,467 Thanks: 14,136 Thanked 4,244 Times in 2,547 Posts Groans: 186 Groaned at 198 Times in 120 Posts	Re: Laser Printers Hazards everything became " hazardous" to our health __________________ problems of performance appraisal is that it sucks to memorize them

08-04-2007	#3
might3d Registered Member Last Online: 12-29-2008 Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 357 Thanks: 121 Thanked 257 Times in 148 Posts Groans: 0 Groaned at 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Laser Printers Hazards oops i have 3 printers laser_jet what should i do ? smash them ? __________________ We Will Never Stop Learning !

08-09-2007	#4
Medusa Registered Member Last Online: 04-27-2013 Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 1,211 Thanks: 943 Thanked 244 Times in 153 Posts Groans: 2 Groaned at 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Laser Printers Hazards nop, of course u can give them to me u should while using them keep as far as u can , ya3ne , not stay near to the printer while printing , and after finish u could come back __________________ J'ai appris de toi :L'absolu du présent, L'intensité du désir, Le précieux des souvenirs, Et l'infinie douceur de l'attente...

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