14 DAY TRIAL // Seeing as how most things that seem too good to be true usually are so, we suppose we shouldn't be too taken aback by the conclusion drawn by the Illinois Institute of Technology. Said conclusion, reached after studying what a 3D printer does and how it does it, is this: 3D printers can be as harmful to their users as smoking a cigarette indoors.
That is because they emit harmful ultrafine particles into the air, at a high rate ranging from 20 billion particles per minute (for a 3D printer utilizing a lower temperature for melting the plastic) to roughly 200 billion.
That's the same level as burning scented candles, cooking on a stove, using laser printers and, of course, lighting a cigarette.
Normally, we wouldn't be bothered, but the toxicity of the materials used in 3D printing, especially ABS plastic, is rather high.
Desktop 3D printers are already used widely, for quick prototyping and small-scale manufacturing. Many use a thermoplastic feedstock which is heated and extruded through a small nozzle, then deposited on a surface.
The researchers believe that, in a worst case scenario, extended use could lead to asthma, or similar symptoms, and even death.
There is potential for cardiac arrest and even stroke if the particles become lodged in your lungs and brain, especially since they can attract other harmful chemicals over time.
Fortunately, at least for the 3D printers used in factories, there is usually a good ventilation system around to clear the air.
Everyone else, however, might want to take some precautions. We'd suggest wearing gas masks if it didn't sound like overkill.
Hopefully, future 3D printers will include some sort of exhaust filtering system or other. No sense in users setting themselves up for long-term health issues if there is a way around it.