This article and others point to some health concerns related to particle emission in 3d printing. I’ve noticed since I started 3d printing a half a year ago that my asthma has worsened after many years of being under control. I’ve concluded that there is a correlation between the two.
http://www.alternet.org/personal-health/3-d-printing-getting-huge-hype-it-could-be-one-massive-health-risk
What materials are you printing?
You’re falling for a scare article meant to generate page hits and controversy. More “ultrafine particles” are generated while cooking eggs, or sitting around a camp fire. If you dig a little deeper, you’ll find conversations that we’ve had in the past year or so which determined that this was nothing more than a scare piece.
However – Depending on the material you’re printing with, you can develop hypersensitivity to certain particulate matter. I know one such person who developed this while printing with ABS. He printed for about a year or so without problems and then developed his hypersensitivity. He’s OK if he wears a filtration mask, but he also has asthma and is affected by other strong chemicals in the same way.
@ThantiK yes, I know about ultrafine particles. They are commonplace. However, there are still yet undetermined factors about this process I am concerned about. I think we will know more as research come out. Regardless, I have well warranted concerns with my own respiratory issues being exacerbated.
@Bjorn_Ringholm abs, pla.
@Andy_Lin , “undetermined factors”…? Sounds like FUD to me. (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt)
@ThantiK each is entitled to different opinions. I respect yours. Until there is concrete evidence out there, I’m going to proceed with caution. I’m a huge proponent of this technology- I use it to create devices for people with disabilities.
Do you switch between PLA and ABS regularly or have you gone from one to the other? Do you notice any difference between them? I produce my own PLA filament and noticed how there is a build up of particles at the end of the insulation where the filament is extruded. It looks a bit like ice crystals. I have never seen it on a printer though…
It definitely is FUD, but it’s completely rational for this one individual, considering the stakes he has.
The spreading of such info without proper disclaimer, however, is quite irresponsible.
As much of a health risk as…laser printers?
Hmm, according to the article, you get just as much ufp from popping corn, in other words, I wouldn’t worry about it too much. If you’re really worried, just make sure you print in a room that is well ventilated and you should be fine
This article is unclear about 2 important things:
- ABS vs. PLA
- UFPs vs. VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds)
I was looking for mention of studies where ABS was used separately to PLA, but instead there is this strange study with “…two PLA printers and three ABS printers were running simultaneously…”.
Why? Is it so hard to run the PLA and the ABS separately? Shouldn’t a study make a reasonable attempt to isolate possible causes?
Also, both PLA and ABS emit different gasses (VOCs) when heated, but there doesn’t seem to be any effort to study the effect of the UFPs vs. the VOCs.
I would tentatively call this article unscientific beause of the lack of attention to isolating the possible causes of health problems, when only a small effort would have sufficed to test with PLA and ABS in isolation.
Certainly the mention of popcorn in this article indicates that those UFPs are probably not of concern.
However, regardless of this report, it is notable that ABS gives off hydrogen cyanide gas when combusted, so it is possible that this dangerous gas is present in small quantities when ABS is heated to over 200 centigrade in a 3D printer’s extruder.
The production and possible inhalation of hydrogen cyanide gas is a worthy subject for a properly scientific study on 3D printer safety.
Those UFPs are far less likely to be causing health problems than VOCs, in my opinion anyway.
@Paul_Gross according to our ABS supplier the levels of cyanide gas produced during printing are much lower then the required safety limits. But the room does need some ventilation to prevent buildup of harmful gasses when printing ABS.
@Marcus_Wolschon laser printers produce ozon. No fun in that…
If you have the temperature too high, you will increase the smell coming from the printed ABS.
My friend I grew up on a farm. I had bad alergy. I couldn’t ride through long field gras in a car or pickup never mind harvest the crops. But the more involved I got with the farming the less my alergy got. I call it an immune system. If you want to run after chemical remedies for natural problems don’t cry if you natural remedies can’t fight your chemical problems.
But then again, I’m afraid of heights so I won’t go jumping out of a plane. Where there is heat there is vapor. And getting into bed can be a huge health risk. So it all comes down to the question. “Is the juis worth the squeeze”
@Ulrich_Baumgarten you do know that most allergies is your immune system overreacting?
@Daid_Braam
Hi Daid.
It makes sense that a supplier of ABS would classify the cyanide gas risk as low, because it is in their best interests to say that.
In theory, since the temperature of the ABS plastic is still below its ignition temerature, it should still be fairly safe.
My thinking is that some impurities in the extruder, not necessarily from the ABS plastic itself, perhaps dust or some other foreign material, may cause some localised combustion, possibly seen as minor charring.
Combustion is exothermic, and anything that chars inside the extuder could raise the temperature of the ABS plastic enough to cause some localised combustion as well.
Now this is all conjecture on my part, but it does warrant further study of the actual amount and type of gasses given off by a 3D printer used in real-life conditions.
I do completely agree with your recommendation that the room be properly ventilated - especially when using ABS.
@Paul_Gross It’s also in the suppliers best interest not to kill anyone with their product, pretty bad for business. They gave quite exact numbers on how much harmful gas was generated per printing a certain amount of material. So pretty sure they measured it.
It’s a bit hyperbolic to bring death into this discussion. The amount of cyanide gas is probably less than a single cigarette anyway, so health issues are likely to manifest as something vague, like respiratory problems.
Symptoms like respiratory problems are non-specific as well - too many other possible causes to pin one cause down - so filament makers would be unlikely to be sued over associated health issues.
The problem is that 3D printers run for many hours continuously, and if the gasses are allowed to build up in a room, then the potential health issues should be a concern.
The advice to properly ventilate the room should cover filament makers against being sued.