
A study has shown that many laser printers emit tiny particles that can be breathed in, and may cause damage to the lungs.
"If
a printer operates in an indoor environment, the concentration of
ultra-fine particles would be of the same order of magnitude as if
there was secondhand smoke in a similar environment," said author Lidia
Morawska, director of the International Laboratory for Air Quality and
Health at Queensland University of Technology in an interview from
Brisbane.
"Even very small concentrations can be related to health hazards," she said.
"The building had 62 laser printers. Of 42 different models found,
34 models were manufactured by HP, five by Ricoh, two by Toshiba and
one by Canon.
After testing all of the printers at a distance of about 2 feet, the
researchers divided them into four different categories. Twenty-three
models fell in the non-emitter category, four in the low category, two
in the medium category and thirteen in the high category.
The study showed that particle levels increased five-fold during working hours.
According to this article
from the San Francisco Chronicle, HP has been working with scientists
to understand the problem for two years. The article includes the full
list of printers tested and a link to the complete study.
Via: Digital Inspiration