Warning**Parrot in your office health risk

meghanxx4

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Feb 1, 2007
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Just posting interesting artical that I found on one of my other forums.

Sun Aug 12, 2007 7:11 pm (PST)
Warning**Parrot in your office health risk Sat Aug 4, 2007 7:12 am (PST) Hello all, If you are like me and have a wonderful little feathered
office buddy in your home office...and if you are like me and have a
laser printer in your home office, you will want to move one or the
other to another area of your home right away. I am moving my
printer. This new report on laser printers shows it is as dangerous
to them, and us, as smoking. Thank goodness I have a computer geek
for a hubby that actually reads this stuff or I would never know.
Story from PC World publised Aug 1, 2007 copied below.

PC World: Technology Advice You Can Trust
Warning: Laser Printers Could Be a Health Hazard
Your laser printer could be spewing toner over your home or office,
according to an Australian air quality researcher.
Gregg Keizer, Computerworld
Wednesday, August 01, 2007 11:00 AM PDT

Some home and office laser printers pose serious health risks and may
spew out as much particulate matter as a cigarette smoker inhales, an
Australian air quality researcher said Tuesday.

The study, appeared today in the online edition of the American
Chemical Society's Environmental Science & Technology (ES&T) journal,
measured particulate output of 62 laser printers, including models
from name brands such as Canon, Hewlett-Packard and Ricoh. Particle
emissions, believed to be toner -- the finely-ground powder used to
form images and characters on paper -- were measured in an open office
floor plan, then ranked.

Specific printer results are listed in the published study.

What They Found

Lidia Morawska and colleagues at the Queensland University of
Technology, classified 17 of the 62 printers, or 27 percent, as "high
particle emitters"; one of the 17 pumped out particulates at a rate
comparable with emissions from cigarette smoking, the study said.

Morawska called the emissions "a significant health threat" because of
the particles' small size, which makes them easy to in! hale and easily
lodged in the deepest and smallest passageways of the lungs. The
effects, she said, can range from simple irritation to much more
serious illnesses, including cardiovascular problems or cancer. "Even
very small concentrations can be related to health hazards," said
Morawska. "Where the concentrations are significantly elevated means
there is potentially a considerable hazard."

Two printers released medium levels of particulates, six issued low
levels, and 37 -- or about 60 percent of those tested -- released no
particles at all. HP, which is one of the world's leading printer
sellers, dominated both the list of high-level emitting and
non-emitting printers.

HP's Response

When contacted by PC World, the company issued this statement: "HP is
currently reviewing the Queensland University of Technology research
on particle emission characteristics of office printers. Vigorous
tests under standardized operating conditions are an integral part of
HP's research and development and its strict quality control procedures."

"As part of these quality controls, HP assesses its LaserJet printing
systems, original HP print cartridges and papers for dust release and
possible material emissions to ensure compliance with applicable
international health and safety requirements. "
More Study Results

The research also found that office particulate levels increased
fivefold during work hours because of laser printers. Generally, more
particles were emitted when the printer was using a new toner
cartridge, and when printing graphics or photographs that require
larger amounts of toner than, say, text.

Morawska recommended that people make sure rooms at work
and home with laser printers are well ventilated.

Source: http://www.pcworld. com/article/ id,135297/ article.html

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Deanna

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Jun 25, 2007
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Mojo the magnificent Maximillian Pionus; Cecil the clowny Senegal; and, Timothy the shy, fearful Parrotlet
Meghan, thanks for the heads-up. Thankfully, I don't run a laser printer!! This is excellent information to have.

I wondered ... as I read the article ... what about copiers?? They, too, run on toner. :confused:
 

litework

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Aug 5, 2007
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Rural Virginia
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Quint-Eleanora Too
The lower end HP Laser Jet 1018 that I have in my office emits a visible puff of smoke during printing sessions. I was really surprised. This is not something I would want to have around birds.
 

Peta

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Sep 7, 2006
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I dont have a laser printer here but I've always removed the fids when I'm printing anything, for the simple fact that we don't know what gets put into the air from them. But yeah that is a great article to have. Thanks for posting it.
 

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