Dangerous Particle Emissions from Laser Printers
Posted by Johan Cyprich on 07 Aug 2007 | Tagged as: Technology
Researchers at the Queensland University of Technology in Australia recently completed a study on the effects that laser printers may have on respiratory health. The group, led by Professor Lidia Morawska (an environmental physicist professor) found that certain printers had dangerous levels of particle emissions.
62 printers were tested with the following results: 37 were non-emitters, 6 were low level emitters, 2 where middle level emitters, and 17 were high level emitters (only 13 of these were made public for some reason). The printers that were tested are listed in the paper they published, Particle Emission Characteristics of Office Printers.
From the study, the professor stated that,
Most of the particles detected in the study were ultrafine particles. Ultrafine particles are of most concern because they can penetrate deep into the lungs where they can pose a significant health threat.
The health effects from inhaling ultrafine particles depend on particle composition, but the results can range from respiratory irritation to more severe illness such as cardiovascular problems or cancer.
Not a very pleasant thought while using your laser printer. Most of the printers that were tested were HP models. HP wasn’t pleased with the study. They responded with,
We do not believe there is a link between printer emissions and any public health risk. HP does not see an association between printer use by customers and negative health effects for volatile organic compounds, ozone or dust. While we recognize ultrafine, fine, and coarse particles are emitted from printing systems, these levels are consistently below recognized occupational exposure limits.
The bottom line here is that more research needs to be done on the health effects of laser printer usage. These studies, however, should be done by a third party not associated in any way with laser printer manufacturers to avoid any bias in their findings.
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