Report on some Laser Printers being a Health Risk

Here is my previous post.

The report has been published in the Environmental Science & Technology (ES&T) journal.

ES&T - Printer particle emissions add up

When researchers in Australia discovered that particulate matter levels were five times higher during the workday inside a nonsmoking office building than outside near a freeway, they looked for indoor culprits. After testing more than 50 printers throughout the building, they found that particle emissions varied depending on the type and age of the printer. In one case, standing near a working printer was much like standing next to a cigarette smoker. The results are described in new research published in ES&T (DOI: 10.1021/es063049z).

The full report can be seen here:

Particle Emission Characteristics of Office Printers

It seems that you can only view the report once and then it asks you to log-in if you want to view it again. I saved the report as an html file and it can be downloaded here.

Are some Laser Printers a Health Risk?

Vnunet.com - Fears grow that laser printers can seriously damage health

Some laser printers release tiny particles of toner-like material into the air that people can inhale deep into their lungs where they may pose a health hazard, scientists have warned.

Lidia Morawska, PhD, and colleagues in Australia classified 17 out of 62 printers in a recent study as “high particle emitters” because they released relatively high quantities of particles, which the researchers believe to be toner.

The research is scheduled for publication in the 1 August online issue of the American Chemical Society’s Environmental Science & Technology (ES&T).