Computer Printers 'more unhealthy then cigarettes'
Pastor Dale Morgan
Computer Printers 'more unhealthy then cigarettes'*
By Paul Chapman
Last Updated: 2:02am BST 01/08/2007
The office printer causes frustration when it isn’t working but it may
be posing more danger to staff as smoking a cigarette when it is,
scientists in Australia said.
An investigation into 62 laser printers revealed that 17 of them -
almost 30 per cent - released high amounts of minute toner particles
into the air.
Professor Lidia Morawska from the Queensland University of Technology,
who led the research, said: "Ultra-fine particles are of most concern
because they can penetrate deep into the lungs where they can pose a
significant health threat.
"These printer particles are tiny, like cigarette smoke particles, and
when deep inside the lung they do the same amount of damage.
"The health effects from inhaling ultra-fine particles depend on
particle composition, but the results can range from respiratory
irritation to more severe illnesses such as cardiovascular problems or
cancer," she said.
The study, conducted in a large open-plan office in central Brisbane,
showed that particles increased five-fold during working hours.
Emissions were worst when new cartridges were used, and when graphics
and images which required larger quantities of toner were being printed.
The study, to be published this week in the American Chemical Society’s
journal "Environmental Science and Technology", identifies brands and
models that gave off the highest emissions and calls for some of them to
be accompanied by health warnings.
It recommends that employers ensure printers are based in
well-ventilated areas, and wants further research into the exact
chemical composition of the particles.
"Governments regulate emission levels from outdoor devices such as
vehicles, power stations and factories, so why not for printers?"
Professor Morawska said.
In offices with poor ventilation higher concentrations of particles
could "prevail for the whole day", she said, posing health risks that
were "quite high" for workers "who sit in an office like this for days
and months".
Professor Morawska said that her team stumbled on the findings while
studying how well ventilation systems protected office workers from
pollution arising from a busy road outside.
"We didn’t really expect to find anything from indoor sources, but we
soon discovered that the indoor sources of pollution were far higher
than the outdoor sources," she added.