Fine Dust Emissions from Laser Printers

For some years now, fine and ultrafine particles emitted from laser printers have been suspected of endangering the health of office workers, causing illnesses and triggering allergic reactions. Although it has not yet been proven beyond any doubt that fine dust from laser printers is a health hazard, it certainly can't hurt to protect your own health and the health of office employees with a few simple measures against a risk.

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Why are fine dust emissions from laser printers considered to be a health hazard?

The potential health hazard in fine dust emitted by laser printers lies in the very small size of toner particles. The particles are only 1 to 5 microns in size. A micrometer is the thousandth part of a millimeter. Particles emitted by a laser printer at the start of a printing process are even smaller. These so-called ultrafine particles (UTF) have a size of a few nanometers. Particles with a size of less than 2.5 microns are considered to be respirable, which means that the particles can get into our lungs and pulmonary alveolus with the air we breathe. In addition, these particles are so small that they can migrate through the cell membranes of the alveoli into our bloodstream and finally accumulate in our brain or other organs.

Quick Tips

Choose the right location for the printer

• Choosing the right location for a laser printer can drastically reduce the exposure of office employees to fine dust emissions. A separate room for laser printers and copiers away from any work desks would be ideal. The room should be easy to ventilate and clean. An easy-care floor that can be wiped with a damp cloth is also helpfull to keep fine dust pollution as low as possible.

Air out regularly

• When a separate room for laser printers and copiers can't be provided, the room in which the devices are located should be easy to air out. It is advisable to briefly air out the room after switching a laser printer on or off as well as after larger print jobs have been completed or toner cartridges have been changed.

Remove paper jams carefully

• Fine dust emission from laser printers is particularly high after a paper jam occured. Paper that has toner on it which not jet has been fixed to the paper, has to be removed from the device. A paper jam should be removed carefully, the paper should never be removed with greater force or ripped out of the printer. When the removed paper has toner on it, it is best kept in a sealed plastic bag until it is disposed.

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Change Toner Cartridges gently and wear Disposable Gloves

When changing an empty toner cartridge, it is unavoidable to come into contact with toner. You should pay attention to where you touch the cartridges and how you handle them. Cartridges should always be removed slowly from the printer in order to avoid whirling up fine and ultrafine particles. To prevent toner from getting on your hands, it is advisable to wear disposable gloves when changing a cartridge. If your hands come into contact with toner, wash them immediately with cold water and soap.

Plants can help to reduce Fine Dust Pollution

Pflanzen verbessPlants improve indoor climate not only by adding some green to the office, but also by consuming carbon dioxide and producing oxygen. A number of plants are also able to filter pollutants and fine dust from the air and reduce the amount of fine dust particles in our work enviroment or home office.

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Retrofit older Laser Printers with Fine Dust Filters

Older laser printer models can be retrofitted with fine dust filters. Filters are available with different filter technologies for different printer models and are relatively inexpensive. Filters significantly reduce the fine dust emission of laser printers.

Low-Emission Laser Printers and Copiers

When you purchase a new laser printer, pay attention to low emission values for ozone and a low operating noise level. Modern laser printers are usually equipped with an activated carbon filter, which mostly prevents the emission of laser printer fine dust. Low-emission devices are marked with the Blue Angel or other European ecolabels for low emitting product.

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• Paper Jam - How to fix it
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• Your printer isn't printing? Here is how to fix it.