Measurements of chlorinated volatile organic compounds emitted from office printers and photocopiers

Abstract

Office devices can release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) partly generated by toners and inks, as well as particles of paper. The aim of the presented study is to identify indoor emissions of volatile halogenated organic compounds into the office workspace environment. Mixtures of organic pollutants emitted by seven office devices, i.e. printers and copiers, were analyzed by taking samples in laboratory conditions during the operation of these appliances. Tests of volatile organic compound emissions from selected office devices were conducted in a simulated environment (test chamber). Samples of VOCs were collected using three-layered thermal desorption tubes. Separation and identification of organic pollutant emissions were made using thermal desorption combined with gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Test chamber studies indicated that operation of the office printer and copier would contribute to the significant concentration level of VOCs in typical office indoor air. Among the determined volatile halogenated compounds, only chlorinated organic compounds were identified, inter alia: trichloroethylene — carcinogenic — and tetrachloroethylene — possibly carcinogenic to human. The results show that daily exposure of an office worker to chemical factors released by the tested printing and copying units can be variable in terms of concentrations of VOCs. The highest emissions in the test chamber during printing were measured for ethylbenzene up to 41.3 μg m−3, xylenes up to 40.5 μg m−3 and in case of halogenated compounds the highest concentration for chlorobenzene was 6.48 μg m−3. The study included the comparison of chamber concentrations and unit-specific emission rates of selected VOCs and the identified halogenated compounds. The highest amount of total VOCs was emitted while copying with device D and was rated above 1235 μg m−3 and 8400 μg unit−1 h−1 on average.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11356-014-3672-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Synergistic effects of engineered nanoparticles and organics released from laser printers using nano-enabled toners: potential health implications from exposures to the emitted organic aerosol

“…The use of various metal/metal oxide ENPs similar to those found in toners and PEPs, such as iron, manganese, titania, zinc and copper have been known to have enhanced catalytic properties due to the increased reactivity and selectivity of these metallic particles (41,43–46). It is also worth noting that other particle formation mechanisms involving ozone, in addition to the nano scale metal and metal oxide particles added and released form the toners during printing, have been proposed in previous studies and may also contribute to this VOC transformation phenomenon taking place and reported in this study [(1–4, 59). …”

Sick building syndrome: are we doing enough?

“…Also, the emissions of ozone and VOC produced through the laser printers were significantly higher than ink-jet printers. In another study, Kowalska, Szewczyńska, and Pośniak (2015) analysed the indoor emissions of volatile halogenated organic compounds (VHOCs) produced through office printers and copiers by taking samples in laboratory conditions during the operation of these appliances. The tests of VHOCs were performed by dint of utilizing a simulated environment (test chamber).…”

Evaluation of potential health effects associated with occupational and environmental exposure to styrene – an update

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