A new study reveals: laser printers can cause cancer

In the study, 17 out of 62 printers were marked as having a high rate of particle emissions, after it became clear that they release a large amount of toner powder into the air.

Thomas Cleburne, InformationWeek

The news was published in the Daily Mail on 1/8/2007

In a new study published last week, it was determined that some of the laser printers, which are used in private homes and offices, pollute the air with toner particles that are dangerous to health. In the study, which will be published in the upcoming issue of the magazine Environmental Science & Technology, which is published by the American Chemical Society, 17 of 62 printers were marked as having a high rate of particle emissions, after it became clear that they release a large amount of toner powder into the air. However, not all printers pollute: 37 of the 62 printers tested did not release any particles that pollute the air. Six printers released a small amount of particles and two a medium amount.

The printers tested are made by Canon, HP, Ricoh and Toshiba, models that are sold in Australia and the USA. The amount of tiny toner particles emitted by one of the printers (manufactured by Toshiba) was so large that it is comparable to smoking a cigarette - according to the study's editors. The other polluting printers were made by HP.

In the study, it was noted that the emission of the printers varies depending on the conditions: HP's LaserJet 5 printer, for example, may under certain conditions emit a large amount of polluting particles and under other conditions not emit at all. "The emission patterns are very complex and we still do not fully understand them," said the study. "Many factors, such as the model of the printer, its age, the model and age of the cartridge may affect the emission of particles, and these factors should be added and investigated."

The research was conducted by Lydia Moraveska, a professor from the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, and her colleagues - funded by the Queensland Department of Public Works and the Research Center for Applied Innovation. Moraveska said that the investigation of the issue began by accident. "We didn't intend to investigate this field at all," said Moraveska. "We came across it by chance, when we wanted to investigate the effectiveness of protection against external contamination of ventilation systems in office buildings. We soon discovered an internal source of air pollution - the laser printers."

According to Moraveska and her colleagues, the air pollution during working hours is five times higher, when the printers are in use. New cartridges and graphics-intensive prints increase the amount of toner particles in the air. The inhalation of the toner particles may cause various health damages, depending on the substance inhaled and the amount inhaled. The particles can damage the respiratory tract, heart and blood vessels, and even cause cancer.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, "tiny particles, less than 10 micrometers in diameter, pose the highest risk because they are sucked deep into the lungs and may even enter the bloodstream." According to the encyclopedia Wikipedia, the diameter of typical toner particles is 8 to 10 micrometers. In the study, toner particles with a diameter of 0.015 to 0.71 micrometers were measured.

In HP's Material Safety Data Sheet, which refers to the Color LaserJet 8500 printer, it is determined that the risk of inhaling toner (at least in this printer) is not significant: "Exposure to a large amount of toner powder may cause minimal irritation of the respiratory tract," the document states.

Follow-up published in the Daily Mail on 6/8/2007

The HP company denied the claims arising from a study published last week, stating that some of the laser printers, which are used in private homes and offices, pollute the air with toner particles that are dangerous to health. The American printer giant did not address the specific claims mentioned in the study, which was conducted in Australia, and contented itself with a general denial: "We do not believe that emissions from printers could endanger public health," the company said in a statement.

In the study, which will be published in the upcoming issue of the magazine Environmental Science & Technology, which is published by the American Chemical Society, 17 of 62 printers were marked as having a high rate of particle emissions, after it became clear that they release a large amount of toner powder into the air. The printers tested are made by Canon, HP, Ricoh and Toshiba, models that are sold in Australia and the USA.

The amount of tiny toner particles emitted by one of the printers (manufactured by Toshiba) was so large that it is comparable to smoking a cigarette - according to the study's editors. The other polluting printers were made by HP. The research was conducted by Lydia Moraveska, a professor from the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, and her colleagues - funded by the Queensland Department of Public Works and the Research Center for Applied Innovation.

"HP does not see any connection between the printers used by our customers and health damage that may be caused by volatile organic compounds (VOC), ozone or dust," said a statement published by HP. "Although we are aware that printers emit tiny particles, the emission levels are regularly lower than the limits set for exposure in workplaces."

According to Rich Scastro, a researcher from the Department of Energy at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories in the US, it is too early to determine that there is a connection between emissions from printers and health damage. "It is not yet clear what the meaning of the research findings is," said a message published on the laboratories' website. "One can assume that exposure to large amounts of tiny particles does not contribute to health, but it is not yet clear what the actual meaning of the exposure is."

"The emission patterns are very complex and we still do not fully understand them," admit the scientists from Australia - and HP emphasizes this fact. "The study of the tiny particles is a completely new scientific field," HP notes. "Today it is still not possible to accurately determine the chemical characteristics of these particles - whether they are emitted from a laser printer or whether they are emitted from their source (a toaster)," adds HP.

Tom McConnell, another scientist from the Berkeley labs, seeks reassurance: until a clear connection is found between laser printers, tiny particles and health risk, "the tiny particles in themselves should not be seen as a cause for concern", according to McConnell.