AAAR 34th Annual Conference
October 12 - October 16, 2015
Hyatt Regency
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Abstract View
Emissions from Consumer 3-D Printers
Qian Zhang, Marilyn Black, Aika Davis, RODNEY J. WEBER, Georgia Institute of Technolgy
Abstract Number: 108 Working Group: Indoor Aerosols
Abstract Consumer-level 3-D printers are relatively inexpensive and widely available. Despite little knowledge on the emissions of either VOCs or aerosols, 3D printers are being operated in both public and private settings that could lead to substantial exposures to susceptible populations (e.g., residential, Primary and Secondary Schools, Libraries, University design labs, etc). We report on tests to quantify emissions of VOCs and particles from 3D printers following existing protocols used for establishing compliance standards for emissions from hard copy devices (Blue Angel Ecolabel). The goal is to understand factors that influence emissions, including type of printer, filament composition and color, printer operating parameters, shape of object printed, and printing interval. Measurements include a range of VOCs and particle size distributions, chemical composition and toxicity. Preliminary findings and challenges associated with assessing 3D printer emissions, in terms of implications for assessing health risks and establishing compliance standards, will be presented.