Aerosols: complex mixtures of solid and/or liquid particles, finely dispersed in a gas – typically air
Formation in the ambient air – indoors and outdoors: both through natural processes (e.g. volcanic eruptions, pollen count, sea spray) and human activities such as industry, transport, laser printing, 3D printing and household processes.
The non-profit organisation nano-Control, International Foundation calls for mandatory rules for the installation and operation of ubiquitous toner-based printing systems like ‘laser printers and copiers’ to sustainably improve indoor air quality. The ban on inhalable PFAS in indoor environment is necessary.
The non-profit nano-Control International Foundation advocates for strict regulations on indoor air quality and stricter control over the installation and operation of toner-based devices, such as laser printers and copiers. Achieving high standards in indoor air quality is essential to protect public health and minimize exposure to harmful pollutants.
Over the course of many years, the International nano-Control Foundation (iNCF) used a detailed questionnaire to carefully and systematically collect information about health symptoms and exposure conditions of office employees who believed to be exposed to printers and photocopier machines in Germany. The data were collected between 1999 and 2010 from at least 2000 participants. After no one in Germany showed any interest on such data for many years, in 2021, a team of researchers from the US University of Massachusetts Lowell in the College of Health Sciences, led by Profs. Dhimiter Bello and Anila Bello, systematically analyzed the data and published the results in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine[1]. Dr. D Bello’s group has been investigating the chemistry and toxicology of nanoparticle emissions from printers and photocopiers for many years.
The current paper documented that workers who stated that they were exposed to particles from these machines, including copy and printer machine operators, technicians, and office workers, also reported high frequencies of respiratory diseases (90% of 1998 respondents), allergies (70% of respondents), as well as other health symptoms or diseases, including asthma/Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD, 15% of respondents), bronchial hyperreactivity, cardiovascular disease, neurological disorders, metal allergies (nickel and cobalt), gastrointestinal disorders, and some cancers. The researchers found that half of the workers reported that their acute respiratory and skin conditions improved significantly away from work (e.g. on the weekend or holidays) and worsened when returning to work, indicating an important role of workplace exposures on the reported symptoms.
The “visible toner dust” – a surrogate for printer-emitted particles (PEP) exposures, was a strong predictor of several health outcomes, including chronic fatigue, bronchial hyperreactivity, asthma/COPD and cardiovascular disease, as indicated by the high and statistically significant adjusted odds ratios.
The scientists acknowledge in the paper several limitations related to self-reported qualitative data, the lack of quantitative exposure assessment, and other confounders, and acknowledge that further epidemiologic research is needed to link quantitatively the PEP exposures with adverse health outcomes. However, the most reported health symptoms in this dataset are consistent with limited available and credible studies in animals, healthy volunteers and epidemiologic studies of printing workers. The scientists conclude that to continue to dismiss workers’ concerns as unfounded is not justified. The good news is that simple and cost-effective solutions to reduce or even eliminate PEP exposure already exist and can be easily implemented in a large scale.
Copyright © 2024 American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
The non-profit foundation nano-Control, International Foundation calls for mandatory rules for the operation of toner-based printing systems „laser printers“ to sustainably improve indoor air quality.
The human right to breathe clean air also applies to the air we breathe indoors.
„Briefing Air quality in Europe 2021 Air pollution is the single largest environmental health risk in Europe and has significant impacts on the health of the European population, particularly in urban areas.“ Source: European Environment Agency (EEA)
The voluntary nano-Control, International Foundation and its previous organization, the ITG citizens‘ initiative, have been working for almost 30 years on a vital issue: protecting the air we breathe indoors, because we need clean, healthy air to breathe. Breathing is living.
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