HARMFUL PRINTER DUST ' TRACKED DOWN '

[Anonymous]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Health–Science/Science/Harmful-printer-dust-tracked-down/articleshow/4128506.cms
Harmful printer dust ‘tracked down’
MELBOURNE:
A new study has revealed the source of potentially harmful, ultra-small
particles released by common laser printers, which researcher.claim
actually come from toner condensing as it cools.According to the
researchers, the ultrafine particles, formed from vapours produced when
a printed image is fused to the paper, are potentially dangerous to
human health because they can penetrate deep into the lungs.”In the
printing process, toner is melted and when it is hot, certain compounds
evaporate and those vapours then nucleate or condense in the air,
forming ultrafine particles.”The material is the result of the
condensation of organic compounds which originate from both the paper
and hot toner,” said lead researcher Lidia Morawska of the Queensland
University of Technology.

In their study, the researchers
compared a high- emitting printer with a low-emitting printer and found
that there were two ways in which printers contributed to the formation
of these particles.”The hotter the printer gets, the higher the
likelihood of these particles forming, but the rate of change of the
temperature also contributes.”The high-emitting printer operated at a
lower average temperature but had rapid changes in temperature,
resulting in more condensable vapour being emitted from the printer.
The printer with better temperature control emitted fewer particles,”
Prof Morawska said.

[Author]

February 19, 2009 at 2:33 PM