program.(9)

Consequently, no special health risk is to be expected from emissions of HP laser printing systems when devices are operated as intended.

Minimal particle emissions

The closed design concept of HP LaserJet and HP Color LaserJet print cartridges effectively limits potential particle release. In general, the important imaging components and special excess toner reservoirs are located inside the print cartridge. Remaining toner or paper particles are wiped off the imaging drum and collected in the excess toner reservoir. Therefore, under intended handling conditions, users should not come into contact with toner particles

To ensure a high level of user safety, HP additionally measures the potential release of particles under extreme operating conditions. Following the well-established and generally recognized gravimetric test procedures in environmental test chambers (ECMA- 328,(10) RAL-UZ 85/114, RAL-UZ 122), the total mass or the resulting airborne concentrations of emitted particles are low. Therefore, and because of their chemical properties, they pose no health risk according to the current state of knowledge.

The concentrations of dust particles of HP laser printing systems lie well below the U.S. OSHA limit values(1) and the German AGW.(3) Moreover, HP’s design criteria for its laser printing systems incorporates guidelines from both the GREENGUARD program(8) in the United States and the Blue Angel program(9) in Germany. Accordingly, experts from Germany’s federal government confirm that the overall particle release can be considered to be to be “relatively small.”(11)

No special health risk is thus to be expected from dust emissions when HP laser printing systems are operated as intended.

No indications of special health issues due to ultrafine particles (UFPs)

Recently, newly developed measurement methods have made it possible to determine the particle size distribution even for the smallest particles within the very small amounts of total particulate matter. Currently available measurement results of the UBA show that toner particles (average diameter from 5 to 10 μm) as well as paper dust are released only to a very small extent.(12)

In the context of the describing and comparing examinations by the UBA, ultrafine particles (UFP, < 0.1 μm) were also found with the new measurement methods. Currently, it is not possible to comment on the nature and chemical composition of these particles according to the UBA.(12) Based on the available results, it is also not possible to make comments on potential health risks.(12) The study results show that the measured UFP concentrations lie within the range of daily indoor activities – such as for example toasting, cooking, ironing or burning candles.

Recent studies of the Fraunhofer Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institute (FhG WKI) support these observations and make the assumption that the determined UFPs are not solid particles but condensation products or small droplets that are created during the thermal printing process and measured as particles by particle counters.(13) Indoor measurements that were recently conducted in the Netherlands show that exposure to UFPs does not seem to be related to copying and printing activities.(14)