Laser Printer Particle Emissions

January 28th, 2010 - More information on the health impact of Laser Printer emissions in the office environment.

An interesting press release was issued last month by Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft on a study commissioned by a printer manufacturing association in Germany. The study's purpose was to challenge the findings from a Queensland University of Technology investigation into dangerous printer emissions in the office place. The original Queensland study asserted that a large number of mainstream printers emit dangerous levels of toner micro-particles while printing. The study also stated that these minuscule particles pose a significant potential health risk to the office staff sitting in close proximity.

Not surprisingly, the major manufacturers, such as HP, disputed these findings and ultimately commissioned this new study to rebut the Queensland report. What makes this interesting is that while this new study does in fact dispute the original Queensland findings, it also identifies another completely different potential risk: paraffin and silicon oils are being vaporized and released in measurable levels from the fixing assembly – the component that heats and fuses the toner to the paper during printing – though the specifics on their health impact is still vague.

If you’re interested in reading more, the links to the original documents are included below. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions on this article.

One of the original articles on the 2007 study from the Queensland University of Technology can be viewed here: Original Article...

The press release from The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft can be found here: Official Press Release...

The 2007 study results from Queensland University: Particle Emission Characteristics of Office Printers...