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I often hear from folks who express concerns about the levels of ultrafine particles (UFPs), also called nanoparticles (less than 100 nanometers, in the size range of viruses), desktop 3D printers can emit – and what that means for your health.
This is absolutely a valid question, and one that we see come up when educators are planning a new fabrication lab or seeking approval from administrators to add a 3D printer to their mix of engineering and fabrication technologies.
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A 2013 Illinois Institute of Technology study had found that commercially available desktop 3D printers can have substantial emissions of potentially harmful Nano-sized particles in indoor air.
The study specifically looked at UFP emissions from a 3D printer that used ABS plastic, and reported that “…total UFP emission rates over the same size range [as the 3D printer study were][/as] measured during various cooking activities.”
It also said that more controlled experiments would need to be conducted to better evaluate particle emissions from 3D printing technologies.
When choosing which machine to buy, it’s important to ask questions about the manufacturer to make sure they are committed to testing their own machines’ emissions to ensure a safe user experience.
In 2012, Stratasys completed two air quality studies, which examined chemical emissions from thermoplastic materials used in the Stratasys Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) printing process.
These studies, conducted by an independent lab, concluded that in all instances, chemical emissions were extremely low, and in most cases less than 1 percent of the limits set by either the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienist’s Threshold Limit Value (ACGIH-TLV) or OSHA Permissible Exposure Limits (OSHA-PEL).
You can find detailed results of the Stratasys air quality studies performed in here.
Based on these findings, this is not a concern for professional level FDM systems, which are fully enclosed.
If you are still concerned about ensuring maximum safety and compliance in your classroom, you can always create a custom enclosure or cabinet for your printer, which can be hooked up to a filtration system specifically designed for 3D printer particle removal.
For example, BOFA offers a 3D PrintPRO range of extraction systems that effectively remove all of hazardous particulate, gases and vapors, and odors associated with a variety of 3D printing methods.
To learn more about fume extraction systems and custom enclosures (pricing, features, specifications), contact us.
Do you still have questions or concerns about particle emissions? Tell us in the comments section below.
