AAAR 35th Annual Conference October 17 - October 21, 2016 Oregon Convention Center Portland, Oregon, USA
Abstract View
Modeling Concentrations of Ultrafine Particles and Volatile Organic Compounds Resulting from Emissions from Desktop 3D-Printers with Multiple Filaments in an Office Space
PARHAM AZIMI, Torkan Fazli, Brent Stephens, Illinois Institute of Technology
Abstract Number: 292 Working Group: Control and Mitigation Technology
Abstract Desktop 3D-printers are rapidly gaining in popularity and fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D-printers are currently the most widely used technology. Unfortunately, a few recent studies have also shown that potentially hazardous gases and particles are emitted from many FFF 3D-printer and filament combinations. However, there are currently no comprehensive studies of the likely human exposures to 3D-printer emissions in realistic indoor environments. Here we use recent measurements of emission rates of both UFP and three speciated VOCs from a variety of desktop FFF 3D-printer and filament combinations to model the magnitudes of human exposures to these same pollutants that would likely be present inside a one-story small office building using a multi-zone airflow and contaminant transport analysis modeling software. We also evaluate the likely impacts of four potential control strategies, including: (i) upgrading the central HVAC filtration; (ii) operating a portable, stand-alone air-cleaner (iii) installing spot ventilation systems; and (iv) reducing the printer emissions with a custom-made enclosure. Results demonstrate that the predicted maximum hourly exposures to UFPs emitted from the 3D-printers in the near-distance zone range from ~90 #/cm3 for Laybrick to ~83,000 #/cm3 for polycarbonate and ABS filaments, while the UFP concentration in the “adjacent” zone is ~88% lower than the near-distance zone. Almost none of the particles can reach to the “far” zone. Results for speciated VOC emissions show similar trends, as the predicted maximum hourly exposure to emitted VOCs in “near-distance” zone ranged from ~0.7 to 82 μg/m3 for lactide and caprolactam, respectively, while VOC concentrations in the adjacent and far zones were ~74% and ~99% lower than the near-distance zone, respectively. Fully effective spot ventilation showed the maximum removal (close to 100% for both UFPs and VOCs) in all zones, while upgrading the central HVAC filtration to MERV 16 had the lowest effectiveness.