With 3D printers gaining in popularity due to rapidly falling prices, a group of risk researchers have found that particles released during the printing process are small enough to infiltrate deep into the lungs and can affect indoor air quality and public health.
The widespread use of 3D printers to manufacture face shields, respirators and other personal protective equipment for Covid-19 has created a new urgency about their safety, the researchers said.
The base materials used in 3D printers include thermoplastics, metals, nanomaterials, polymers and volatile and semi-volatile organic chemicals. The printing process may take several hours and during this time a range of chemical by-products and particulates may be released into indoor environments.
Given these unknowns, scientists have begun to conduct studies to understand these releases and their specific composition, particle size and residence time in the indoor environment.
A study conducted...