TUC - Risks: weekly health and safety update Risks 317 - 4 August 2007 Visit the address below to view the document in full, in print format or in text-only format. http://www.tuc.org.uk/h_and_s/tuc-13585-f0.cfm
Office printers 'are health risk' An office laser printer can damage lungs in much the same way as smoke particles from cigarettes, a team of Australian scientists has found. An investigation of a range of printer models showed that almost a third emit potentially dangerous levels of toner into the air. Lidia Morawska and her colleagues focused on particles less than a micrometre in diameter. These are not easily filtered out by the lungs and are suspected of causing long-term health problems. The Queensland University of Technology scientists have called on ministers to regulate these kinds of emissions. They say some printers should come with a health warning. The researchers carried out tests on 62 machines. Over a quarter (27 per cent) were found to emit particles of toner-like material so small that they can infiltrate the lungs and cause a range of health problems from respiratory irritation to more chronic illnesses. Conducted in an open-plan office, the tests revealed that particle levels increased five-fold during working hours, a rise blamed on printer use. The problem was worse when new cartridges were used and when graphics and images required higher quantities of toner. The researchers have called on governments to regulate air quality in offices and want companies to ensure that printers are based in well-ventilated areas so that particles disperse. Not all printers were equally bad. In fact, 60 per cent of them emitted no particles at all. Eight of the printers tested emitted only low or medium levels of particulates, but 13 were 'high emitters'. There was also no clear indication that any specific brand was worse than another. Environmental Science & Technology Online. DOI 10.1021/es063049z http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2007/aug/science/nl_printers.html ABC News Online http://abc.net.au/science/news/stories/2007/1992685.htm?health Sydney Morning Herald http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/printer-particles-as-bad-as-cigarettes/2007/07/31/1185647903291.html# The Australian http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22164613-1702,00.html News Scientist http://www.newscientisttech.com/article/dn12391-printer-particles-may-pose-health-risk.html BBC News Online http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6923915.stm _______________________________________________ Discuss mailing list [email protected] http://lists.isoc-ny.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
