Safety on printing with HIPS filaments?

[KC]

Hi all!

Just a few questions about how safe is it to print with HIPS filament. 

I am aware that there were some concerns about micro and nano particle dust that is generated from 3D printing process, and some reports about people feeling slightly unwell after printing with ABS, generally due to the smell. I do experience slight headache when I first printed with ABS, although it goes away after I got used to it. Have been printing at ventilated areas since to have some safe guards. 

However I do find the lack of safety reports on 3D printing with either ABS or PLA frustrating, and this is even worse with HIPS, where any report (even users' experience) is hard to come by. 

So I am just wondering, if anyone out there knows more about any safety concern with heating up HIPS filament? Or anyone experienced any adversed event while printing with HIPS? 

I generally print HIPS at 230 degree C, if that info helps...

Thanks!

[Ryan Carlyle]

HIPS has an identical safety profile to ABS.
ABS: acrylonitrile butadiene styrene
HIPS: butadiene styrene
The release of trace amounts of residual unreacted styrene monomer is the primary source of ABS fumes. The acrylonitrile in ABS is typically reacted away completely into cross-linking the polymer so the fumes of the two filaments should be roughly identical.

Long-term epidemiological studies of injection molding factory workers (ABS, HIPS, PS) show that there can be some relatively minor short-term symptoms of very heavy exposure (headaches, nausea, desensitization to smell, etc) but these are temporary and there does not appear to be any lasting damage. (No cancer risk or anything.) And those people are exposed to vastly higher levels of fumes than one or two printers emit.

As far as as nanoparticulate emissions are concerned... 3D printers emit about as many nanoparticles as high-temp cooking on a stove, such as searing a steak or cooking in a wok. The single academic article that has studied this issue admitted as much, but none of the 3DP press picked up on that. We're all exposed to nanoparticles constantly. The risk is wildly exaggerated.

All that said, ABS fumes ARE unpleasant, and if you're running several printers, the fume emissions will add up. Good ventilation is smart. Running a an activated carbon or organic vapor respirator cartridge fume filter inside the printer helps a lot with the smell, and a good HEPA filter should knock down the nanoparticulates. (Although people are mixed on how effective filtration is for nanoparticles. Seems to depend on electric charge and such.)

[KC]

Thanks Ryan for the useful information! Really appreciate it!