Report On Toxic Laser Printers And Dangerous Air In Office Environments

INTERNET NEWS REPORT: Some home and office laser printers emit possibly harmful amounts of small-particle air pollution, Australian researchers find.

One of the printers gave off as much small-particle pollution as a burning cigarette, find Lidia Morawska, PhD, director of the International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, and colleagues.

"By all means this is an important indoor source of pollution. There should be regulations," Morawska says in a news release.

The researchers tested 62 printers sold under the Canon, HP Color LaserJet, Ricoh, and Toshiba brand names. They measured particles given off by the printers under normal operating conditions in a large, open office setting with 22 desks. They also tested three of the printers in a closed chamber.

Seventeen of the printers emitted high levels of particles, while 37 released no particles at all. The differences were large. "Medium-emitter" printers gave off 100 times more particles than did "low-emitter" printers. "High-emitter" printers gave off 1,000 times more particles than did "low-emitter" printers.

So which printers should you avoid? It's not a simple question.

Under different circumstances - such as toner coverage and cartridge age - the same printer might give off different levels of pollution. For example, the HP LaserJet 5 printer tested as a non-emitter in one test, and as a high emitter in another.

The very fine particles emitted by laser printers could be a problem; as such small particles can be inhaled deep into the lungs.

"Even very small concentrations can be related to health hazards. Where the concentrations are significantly elevated, there is potentially a considerable hazard," Morawska says.

Depending on the ventilation conditions of a room or office, the particles emitted by a laser printer can disperse in a few minutes or hand in the air for hours, Morawska says.

She advises people who use laser printers to keep their offices well ventilated. She also suggests that people not sit too close to working printers.

"The closer to the sources - in this case the printer - the higher hazard, as the concentrations are higher," Morawska warns.

The researchers note that the complex particle-emission patterns of laser printers is "still far from being completely understood" and that further study is needed.

These findings appear in the Aug.1 2007 online edition of the American Chemical Society journal Environmental Science & Technology.

IMPORTANT ADDED INFORMATION TO READ

(This Added Information Written By Barry Cohen Owner Of Absolute Air Cleaners And Allergy Products)

HEPA Air Cleaners And Air Purifiers Can Help

Other dangerous pollutants can be a health hazard in your office space! New carpeting often out-gases a cocktail of toxic chemicals into your indoor working space environment. Old carpet is loaded with bacteria, dirt, dead skin and dust mite allergen. Office environments also contain dangerous cleaning chemicals, white out chemicals and paints that leach chemicals into your indoor air's office breathing space. Old buildings often have filthy air conditioning and heating systems and ductwork loaded with bacteria and mold spores. How close do you work with your co -workers? When one or two co-workers get sick does it quickly spread to the many other people working in your office, including YOU?

All of these problems create POOR HEALTH, BAD WORKING CONDITIONS and DECREACED WORKING PRODUCTIVITY!

There are two things that can help! They are ventilating and pushing increased fresh air into the air condition's system to dilute these indoor air pollution problems and to lessen them. However building and business owners rarely do this because ventilating and increasing fresh air into the building will also greatly increase the electric bill due to the A/C systems loss of cooled or heated air!

THE ANSWER AND BEST CHOICE

The best choice and most cost effective action to take is to introduce QUALITY PORTABLE HEPA Air Cleaners or HEPA Air Purifiers with activated carbon and non ozone producing Ultra-Violet Lights or EGF (Enhanced Germicidal Filtration) Technology into the office spaces where workers have the most problems! These HEPA air cleaners and air purifiers will capture, absorb and greatly reduce the toxic and often dangerous airborne particles, chemicals, bacteria, molds and viruses that build up in your building's office space air.

For a free indoor air quality consultation and more information about indoor air quality problems in office and home environments see the website at http://www.aircleaners.com Or call Barry Cohen (The Owner) direct at Toll Free 1-888-578-7324 or call 970-259-3998.

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