Q: At work we are in a small room with a big printer which does all the faxing, copying and scanning etc! But can it give off fumes that make you feel tired etc?!!>?!?!?
A: Photocopiers and laser printers use toner comprised of tiny particles of a black amorphous carbon pigment which is transferred by electrical charge and fixed in place on the paper by heating. Excess toner and any paper particulate caused by the motion of the paper through the machine should be trapped by the brushes and filters within the machine before they can be pumped out with the cooling air through the fan exhausts. The nature of the electrostatic charge used in the transfer of the image can result in the production of ozone which is a naturally occuring substance at high altitude in the atmosphere where it forms a protective shield against dangerous components of sunlight. High concentrations of ozone can cause irritation to the eyes and mucous membranes but it can be recognised by its pungent odour so it would be noticeable. There are manufacturer recommendations for the room air flows where these machines are used which should also be adhered to, in some cases where low air change rates are involved an ozone filter may be fitted to the machine. The main symptoms of these sort of emissions will be irritation of the eyes, nose or throat, perhaps coughing and dry facial skin. Having said the above a copier or laser printer will very rarely generate emissions that cause problems. The design and service interval recommendations take into account Occupational Exposure Limits which define in law the permitted levels of emissions and the actual emissions will be between 10 and 100 times less than these allowed limits when installed in a location with adequate supply of fresh air.