Occupational exposure to laser printers emissions

Speaker:

Giorgio Gianello , Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma - Istituto di Medicina del Lavoro

Co-Author(s):

Gianello G.1*; Iavicoli I.1; Castellano P.2; Cappelletti M.C.1; Canepari S.3 ; Bergamaschi A.1 1. Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma - Istituto di Medicina del Lavoro 2. ISPESL Monteporzio Catone - Dipartimento di Igiene del Lavoro 3. Università La Sapienza Dipartimento di. Chimica * Address: L.go F. Vito, 1 00168 Roma e-mail: gg.gianello@rm.unicatt.it

In the literature, European and North-American studies have reported increased risks of nasal, throat and skin symptoms correlated to exposure to printers. In addition, recently significant relationships with the general symptoms such as headache and fatigue, chronic bronchitis, breathlessness, and tonsillitis and middle ear infections were found. In fact laser printers and copiers are suspected to emit toner dusts and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and, thereby, to represent a health risk. Indoor air measurements focused on determination of laser printer’s and photocopier’s emissions have shown that fine, ultrafine and nanoparticles of toners and papers, gases (such as ozone), heavy metals and various VOCs are released into indoor air. Furthermore in our study we have monitored for ozone, VOCs and particulate matter in the printing process of laser printers. We used an ELPI (Electrical Low Pressure Impactor) as counter/sizer that measured number of particles in the range 0.007-10 µm (12 size fractions). The obtained preliminary results confirmed an increase of these contaminants in the indoor air. For this reason, the investigated contaminants should be monitored over the years, and special attention should be given to the finest airborne particles, that seem to be implicated with the appearance of different diseases.