I have always wondered about the toxic emissions from printers and photocopiers. I have experienced a couple of allergic reactions to the toner in them and have thought about how harmful they might be.
When I was 16 and a junior clerk in a legal office, I was asked to change the toner in the photocopier. Never having done it before, I made a mess of it and toner went everywhere! It is horrible stuff to clean up, and as I was trying to get rid of any trace of stray toner, I started having an anaphylactic type reaction, as well as feeling extremely nauseous and dizzy. I was sent home for the afternoon and was never asked to change the toner again!
Just recently I had to do a lot of printing at home (lecture notes for the retreats) and I noticed after printing hundreds of pages, that I had a lot of trouble breathing and the next morning I would wake up coughing with quite congested lungs. It happened on more than one occassion, and I narrowed it down to the amount of printing I was doing. The cough took a week to clear up and was quite nasty sounding. Needless to say I now outsource all my bulk printing!
I’m sure an open window, an air filter and lots of plants in the office would minimise the impact of these toxins.
Natural News: “A new study from researchers at the Queensland Institute of Technology has shed some light on exactly what factors lead laser printers to emit toxic particles into the air, making them the single most polluting piece of equipment in the typical office.” Read more...
Leisa
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