TONER & ASTHMA

By SACO Sunday, February 08, 2009

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Here's an interesting thread I came across in another forum.

I have been concerned about the toner from Xerox copiers for years. A
friend that worked in an office told me that when they repainted the
office they removed a thermostat from the wall. The difference in
color from the wall that had been exposed to flying pigment and that
behind the thermostat was jaw dropping. I suspect that the toner is
non-organic and, like many of the compounds in cigarette tobacco,
might remain, if inhaled, in the body for some time.
This is speculation on my part. Maybe some here would have more
informed knowledge.

It's funny that you bring this up.

Before I went back to school to study law, I was a Medical
Anthropologist. I spent a year in Cleveland working with a group of
doctor's doing pulmonary research. We idenified a new sort of asthma
we called "Xerox Worker's Asthma". Basically the toner from photo-
copy machines (practically identical to laser printers) becomes
aerosolized and inhaled by users. There are over 40 different
chemicals in toner that could be doing very nasty things to you. We
noted that those who use photocopiers for a living tend to get a form
of asthma.

Comments (8) | Add comment

Kathi MacNaughton, Health Pro

2/28/09 5:21pm

This was an interesting discussion. We do know that strong chemical fumes can be a trigger for asthma, and that there is such a thing as occupational asthma that is caused by exposure to toxic substances. So, this notion of toner-induced asthma makes sense.

I know that when I've breathed in such fumes even briefly, it has caused me to wheeze!

LDM

6/29/09 3:55pm

I developed pnuemacitis and asthma from the constant breathing of toner fumes from the printer at my desk and the network printer which was in the same area. I had to leave my job once the illness became full blown, but the trouble is that I was unable to get worker's comp; or any other tyoe of support from my organization. This is mainly due to the fact that a lot of doctors still do not understand this problem. I am now working as a substitute teacher, but no matter where I go I now have to wear a mask when I am in the printer room. I also have the same happening in the presence of strong chemical fumes. I do not have medical insurance anymore, since I had to leave my permanent job, and I do need to see a doctor even if it is a clinical trial.

Bee8

11/23/09 4:13pm

How do you know if your printer ink has toner in it?

Michele

3/30/09 10:37am

i am concerned now my office is getting a new copier/printer which will use toner.

I am asthma I am not sure just where to put the printer. It was suppose to go next to my desk.

Can anyone shed some light on this. as to where we should place this now.

MRE

4/29/10 11:02am

ILLNESS DUE TO PHOTOCOPIER AND LASER PRINTER

I have developed severe bronchial hyperreactivity and multiple chemical sensitivity. It was only caused by the vapours released by a photocopier and a laser printer. These machines can be a risk when they smell strongly and are used intensively in an unventilated place where someone is staying all the time because they can release dozens of different chemicals among them ozone and volatile compounds know for their deletereous effects on the airways.

These chemical cocktails can produce complex toxicological syndromes that physicians are usually misdiagnosing (as allergy to pollens, viruses, asthma due to urban smog, atypical genetical sjogren sydrome, psychosomatic anxiety or others due to the fact that the medical establishment is not familiar with respiratory toxicology and do not usually enquiry about possible irritants for the airways that the patient might be breathing.

Anyone knowing of similar cases please report them here or elsewere. It is important to make people aware of a potentially serious risk, easily avoidable but neglected everywhere.

V. Chase

2/ 6/11 7:23pm

I had a co-worker that was placed behind the copier as reasonable accommodatios in the office. There was a partition between her and the copier but she coughed all day long. She suffered with asthma. She brought in medical documentation that something was making her ill. I requested reasonable accommodations as we are entitled to by the E.O.13164. The manager of the office denied it. So, I requested the denial in writing which it says in the E.O. also. He stated "I don't have to give you anything and I'm not moving the indiviudal from behind the copier.

I just find that odd that the only individuals that sat behind and in front of the copier were Black senior citizen women suffering with cancer and lung disease (asthma). Three of us had to retire because we kept getting ill. I'm asthmatic also and I sat on the front side of the copier. If federal government is not going to make managers abide by the laws that are put in place to protect the people, then why does Congress waste tax payers dollars and all those long hours making laws for the people?

MRE

4/28/11 1:31pm

There is a lot of people reporting different illnesses and symptoms of obscure origin who at the same time have been heavily breathing the vapours from photocopiers and laser printers. There is a significant amount of medical literature describing health risks by these machines but they are scattered in different languages and countries, although a good part are in English, so there is still enough serious information. Doctors from all over the world have received patients accusing these machines from their ill health but for the most part they did not pay attention to their patients reports and dismissed the relationship to the machines. All in all there is much misinformation about the health risks by these machines. And it may not be simply unintentional. In the eighties and nineties office employees breathed a lot of the strong pungent smells from copiers and printers and noone cared about their fate. I have my health severely damaged by both of these machines and noone wants to recognize or hear from it. The only resource left to persons who have suffered illnesses from copy and printing machines may be the internet. Try to post messages and release the information. Perhaps if sufficiente people would be made aware and would start asking their health authorities there would be a positive reaction and a serious research on this subject.

mary smith

1/31/12 7:34pm

I have run a xerox copy machine for 4 yrs .I had been very healthy missed work a few times for a sinus infection..thats all...in july of this yr i was diagnosed with dermatomyositis(an auto immune disease) affecting my mucles and skin.I was never told to wear a mask or gloves to dispose the toner cartridge which is black dust i have had it all over me and even seen a little black when blowing my nose....i have found articles that say its a carcinogenic(causes cancer) and then others that say not toxic...there were no windows to open very small room could open door to hall but still smells from the machine were very strong.the culprit of this disease is cancer although i tested neg. for cancer..Im very curious...i cant work till the disease is gone(2yrs) have you heard anything all these lines...I dont have asthma. thanks,

TONER & ASTHMA

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