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What is the hazard of laser printer toner? Health hazards and scientific protection guide of printer toner.

In daily office work, laser printers have become an indispensable and efficient printing tool for us. However, its indispensable “food” – toner, may become a potential hidden danger that threatens our health. Next, let us explore the health secrets behind toner and explore effective protection measures to ensure our health and safety.

1. Health hazards of printer toner

Printer toner, an indispensable printing consumable in daily office work, actually has potential hazards to the human body that cannot be ignored. Toner contains toxic ingredients, and its tiny particles can enter the human body through the respiratory tract and are difficult to expel, causing health risks. Its harmfulness comes from two aspects: one is that some toner ingredients may be toxic; the other is that its tiny particle characteristics make it easy for these particles to enter the human body through the respiratory tract and difficult to be completely expelled, thereby causing continuous damage to health. Usually, the degree of this harm is closely related to the amount of toner inhaled by the human body. The more inhaled, the higher the potential risk.

1) Harmfulness of toner ingredients: Common toners on the market include carbon black, iron oxide and polyester. Some products may also contain metal dust such as nickel, cobalt, and mercury, all of which are harmful to the human body to varying degrees, and the content in each product is different.

2) The tinyness and harm of toner particles: Toner particles are very small and can easily float in the air and enter the human body through the respiratory tract. Since toner cannot melt naturally in the human body and is difficult to excrete, once inhaled, it is difficult to excrete through metabolism. Long-term or large-scale inhalation of toner may cause respiratory diseases, insomnia, headaches, dizziness and other symptoms, and in severe cases may even cause serious diseases such as silicosis.

3) Potential risks in the process of filling toner cartridges: Filling toner cartridges without strict environmental protection will cause small particles that are difficult to detect with the naked eye to float in the air. After these small particles are inhaled by the human body many times, they will increase the risk of cancer, and the chance of cancer is about 10% higher than that of normal people. In addition, after the surface modifier polyethylene (polypropylene paraffin) used in the filling process is inhaled into the body, its small molecular particles will enter the blood circulation system and eventually deposit in the kidneys, and the chance of inducing diseases such as kidney stones will be 3 times higher than that of normal people.

4) Impact of printing machinery on the environment: When the printer is working, due to the effect of high-voltage electrostatic field, it will produce organic waste gases such as benzopyrene and dimethylnitrosamine. These organic waste gases are pathogenic, teratogenic and carcinogenic substances. In addition, the research report of the British Allergy Foundation also pointed out that although ozone can reduce the harm of solar radiation in the odor gas released by office equipment, it will cause harm to the human body when the concentration is too high.

2. Protective measures and suggestions

After recognizing the potential harm of toner, we urgently need to take effective protective measures. Here are some suggestions to help you reduce the risks brought by toner:

► Improve the working environment

  1. Improve ventilation: Make sure there is enough ventilation around the printer to reduce the concentration of toner in the air.
  2. Wear protective equipment: When filling the toner cartridge or handling toner, be sure to wear professional protective masks and gloves to avoid inhaling or contacting toner.
  3. Clean the printer regularly: Clean the printer regularly to reduce the accumulation of toner inside the printer.
  4. Avoid long-term exposure: Try to minimize staying in an environment with high toner concentration to avoid inhaling too much toner.

► Enhance health awareness and equipment use

  1. Enhance health awareness: Have regular physical examinations to promptly detect and deal with health problems that may be caused by toner exposure.
  2. Choose compliant toner: It is recommended to purchase toner from regular manufacturers to ensure that potential risks are reduced at the source.
  3. Proper use and placement of equipment: When you are unsure of the degree of harm caused by toner, you should minimize the use of the printer unless necessary and place it in a well-ventilated place.

► Environmental protection disposal and greening

  1. Refill toner away from people: In order to reduce the impact of particle dispersion on people around, it is recommended not to fill toner in crowded places or work areas.
  2. Properly dispose of replacement consumables: Replaced toner cartridges or toner cartridges should be returned to the provider or properly disposed of to prevent potential harm to others.
  3. Use green plants to purify the air: It is recommended to place more green plants where printers and copiers are placed. These plants can not only absorb carbon dioxide in the air, but also release oxygen and absorb dust, thereby effectively improving the air quality of the office environment.

Conclusion:

Tiny toner actually poses health risks that cannot be ignored. However, by increasing awareness of its hazards and taking appropriate preventive measures, we can fully utilize printing technology while effectively protecting the health and safety of ourselves and others. Let us work together to create a safe and environmentally friendly office environment.