Your office’s laser printers and photocopiers don’t use liquid ink. They employ toner, a tiny powder that is melted onto the paper. Toner contains substances that, while potentially toxic in big doses, are safe at doses you’d typically encounter in an office. You and your staff’s safety can be maintained by controlling your exposure to the toner and the compounds it contains.
Carbon Black
Most black photocopier and laser printer toners use carbon black as their main component, however other cartridges employ an iron oxide in its place. Carbon black is a pigment that has a close chemical affinity to coal and pencil lead. The International Agency for Research on Cancer studied the relationship between manufacturing processes and bacterial genetic alterations in 1996. The Health and Safety Department of the University of Edinburgh observed in 2010 that the manufacturing process has altered since then and that no research had connected it to cancer.
Polymers and Resins
Toners also include polymers or resins that adhere to the pigment particles. The resins or polymers melt when the page is heated by the copier as it exits the printer, sealing the pigment onto the page. Some of these polymers include volatile compounds that, when inhaled in significant doses, could be harmful. Since the copier warms and may even melt parts of the toner while it is functioning, this issue is particularly severe if you are nearby.
Various Chemicals
While styrene acrylate is used in some toner formulations, others use naphtha, a petrochemical related to gasoline. These substances are securely fused onto the paper in a functioning copier or locked inside the toner cartridge. They shouldn’t actually be a health risk because of this.
Managing Toner Risks
The key to managing the health hazards of toner is to avoid inhaling it. According to the University of Edinburgh’s Health and Safety Department, routine, everyday photocopying appears to be safe. However, if you inhale significant amounts of the resins, polymers, and other compounds in toner, health risks may be present. Make sure your workstation is well ventilated if you work close to a busy copy machine, and if you’re in charge of cleaning up toner spills or the inside of copiers, think about donning a face mask to prevent toner inhalation.
