The toner, an electrically charged powder ink, used to pigment paper in laser printers, copiers, and fax machines.
In its early days it was simply carbon dust. Then, to improve the quality of the print, the carbon was combined with a polymer. The toner particles are melted by the heat from the drum, causing them to adhere to the paper. The toner formula varies from manufacturer to manufacturer and even machine. They generally vary in the size of the granules and in the melting points. Toner is really a very specific substance, its manufacturing process is quite complex and each factory has its own formulation, that is, there are not 2 factories that make the same clear toner powder that factories make toner powder with their own formulation. from the base-generic components, then there are specific additives that differentiate some manufacturers from others. So there are different types of toner,although basically it is made up of carbon and iron, and whose main components include chromium, copper, inorganic cyanides, acrylics, developer and thermoplastic particles. In modern photocopiers, toner cartridges are designed and planned so that there is no human contact with the toner.
However, the reality is that photocopier operators come into contact with him. Cartridge malfunctions, breakage of machine components that expose the toner to the environment, and the possibility that it exists in the unmelted toner paper ejected by the machine when a paper jam is cleared. These are common ways in which a copier operator can be exposed to toner.
The effects on Human health
A recent study shows that certain printers pollute the air in the room in which they are located in such a way that the health of the human being who is nearby is threatened in almost the same way as if there were a smoker. Small particles are dangerous because they can be easily breathed into the smallest regions of the lungs and even into the bloodstream. They can potentially cause respiratory and cardiovascular problems. Several substances that make up the toner pose health risks in direct exposure of emissions during the printing and / or photocopying process. Typical chemicals are: carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, and a range of volatile organic compounds, several of which are carcinogenic.
The polymers that make up the toner when stable are not toxic to us, but at high temperatures they can cause the release of monomers that are harmful to health. The polystyrene monomer (plastic), is irritating to the skin and to the ocular and respiratory mucosa. At high concentrations it can lead to gastrointestinal disorders, leukopenia, laxity.
The environmental effects
In several developed countries there are laws that establish rules for the recycling of toner cartridges. Those rules aim to protect the environment from hazardous waste. But compliance with these standards implies significant investments in a recycling program. Not all companies have the resources and the desire to launch recycling programs. Also, people who use xerography products are not always informed about the processes they have to follow to recycle the cartridges or the toner itself and why it is important.
Cartridges contain different metals, plastic, and the same toner, which can spread through the air 10 times faster than ordinary powder. All this can cause allergies in people, polluting the soil and water. It is proven that the amount of diseases and mortality is higher in cities polluted by a high concentration of fine particles in the air. The proportion is direct: the higher the concentration of fine particles, the greater the damage.
Toner tanks
In some cases the same companies or computer houses are in charge of collecting the toner cartridges, but the reality is different, some people with a lack of awareness and with little information on the subject find it easy to throw them in ordinary garbage containers. It is advisable to know where to deposit them since we take into account that it is made of inorganic components that take more than 20 years to degrade. Very little is known about specific places where they are deposited, usually they go to landfills where there are contaminating factors of water, soil and air.
conclusion
Ink cartridges pollute the environment, but there are measures to reduce this problem, one of them (the most feasible) is that instead of disposing of empty ink cartridges in the trash, they must be refilled or sent back to the company that manufactures them for recycling by them.
Bibliography
- Morawska, L., He, C., Johnson, GR, Jayaratne, R., Salthammer, T., Wang, H., Uhde, E., Bostrom, T., Modini, R., Ayoko, G., McGarry, P. and Wensing, M. (2009). Investigations into the Characteristics and Formation Mechanisms ofParticles Originating from the Operation of Laser PrintersAlbiano, Nelson. "Occupational Toxicology: Criteria for Surveillance of Workers Exposed to Hazardous Chemical Substances". Safe work. Information and advice center. Labor Toxicology Magazine, Year 1N. 7.Argentina. 2005.Blanco, A., et al. "Nutritional anemias in lactating women in Costa Rica". Latin American Nutrition Archives. ISSN 0004-0622. vol. 53. N. 1. Caracas, Venezuela. 2003.
