08-03-2007, 05:00 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,968
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Some Top Laser Printers Called Office Polluters
"If you work near certain models of laser printers, you might be breathing the same amount of ultra-fine particle pollution as if a smoker were puffing away in the next cubicle, according to a study by Australian scientists. In one of the first studies of laser printers in a work setting, researchers found that some models are sources of ultra-fine particles that contribute to indoor air pollution. Breathing tiny particles can cause respiratory irritation and more severe illnesses such as heart disease and cancer. Almost half of the laser printers tested in the study emitted tiny particles of toner-like material, sending out concentrations ranging from low to high, according to the study findings published online today for the American Chemical Society's journal Environmental Science and Technology. The worst printers released amounts of ultra-fine particles rivaling plumes of secondhand smoke. When inhaled, the particles -- tiny flecks between 100 and 1,000 times smaller than the thickness of a human hair -- can work their way deep into the lung, leading to heart and lung disease, scientists say."
Ewww! I guess it is a good thing that most of the places I have worked in recently have a dedicated and usually secluded printer room. Of course, if you have ever been in a printer room, the crazy amount of toner smell should have you be unsurprised by this report. This report has a list of printers that failed to meet the clean test so see if you are sitting next to a polluter.
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