Laser printers and indoor air quality

 Source: diskdepot.co.uk [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

This is not breaking news, but important nonetheless since we spend so much time indoors in office environments.

Office printer could be posing as much danger to the lungs as a drag on a cigarette, according to air quality tests by Australian scientists.

An investigation of dozens of laser printers revealed that almost 30 per cent emit potentially dangerous levels of tiny toner-like material into the air.

These ultra-fine particles are capable of infiltrating the lungs and causing lasting damage on the scale of inhaled cigarette smoke, said researcher Professor Lidia Morawska, from the Queensland University of Technology.

"Ultra-fine particles are of most concern because they can penetrate deep into the lungs where they can pose a significant health threat," Professor Morawska said...

..."The health effects from inhaling ultra-fine particles depend on particle composition, but the results can range from respiratory irritation to more severe illness such as cardiovascular problems or cancer..."

Read the full article by at in the Brisbane Times

Read the orginal research report by Morawska, et al, in the science journal Environmental Science and Technology

The CBC did their own research, see their study here