February 3, 2025

Air Quality Concerns at Printer Toner Refill Centers

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Air Quality Concerns at Printer Toner Refill Centers

Printer Toner Defined

Each year, over 70 million Printer toner cartridges are sold in the US.  It is estimated that 70–80% of those purchased become landfill waste. Luckily, there are toner cartridge refill centers where companies and individuals can have their cartridges refilled, rather than discarded. This process is economical and good for the environment, but without proper air quality measures in place, poses an occupational risk for refill center workers.

Toner is a pigmented powder used in laser copiers and printers. Fine, dry powder is heated, which allows it to bond with paper. Toner-based duplication is cost-effective, doesn’t dry out like ink, and produces faster, better-quality prints.

Toner cartridges, also called laser toner cartridges and printer toner cartridges, are tube-shaped containers that hold the toner powder used to create images on paper. 

Printer Toner Refill Centers

Most toner cartridge refill centers operate in the same manner. Customers take their empty containers in for inspection to determine whether or not refilling is possible. If a cartridge is serviceable, it is disassembled in order to access the reservoir and drum for cleaning. Once cleaned, the cartridge is reassembled, and fresh toner powder is added. Finally, it is tested to ensure quality performance.

Printer Toner Powder Ingredients

Printer toner powder ingredients can vary from product to product. Some are custom-made for specific machines. Others are mixed for mass usage across different manufacturers’ equipment. But all modern toner powder shares a basic formula, which includes:

Polyester/Plastic – Used because it melts well on paper and for clean, sharp images.

Carbon Black – The plastic used in toner is clear. To give it depth and shadowing, this fine, black powder is added.

Yellow, Blue, & Red Pigments – Together with black, these hues combine to match any color.

Polypropylene Wax – This synthetic coating lubricates to prevent copy rollers from sticking and pages from smudging.

Silica – To avoid caking and tackiness, fumed silica is added to toner to improve print flow and quality.

Health Risks

During the cartridge refilling process, toner dust can become airborne. Plastic particulates, as well as emissions from carbon black and silica, can irritate eyes and skin and, if inhaled, cause respiratory complications. Workers who have chronic exposure to toner powder can suffer long-term health problems if proper protective measures are not taken.

Solution

To avoid chronic exposure to toner powder at work, refill center workers should take the following precautions:

  1. Use personal protective (PPE) equipment such as gloves, masks, and goggles.
  2. Keep work areas clean and dust-free.
  3. Ensure proper ventilation.
  4. Remove dust and toner particles at the source, by using a dust-collecting air cleaner.

At AIRSInc., we protect our toner refill center customers by offering exceptional air cleaning products, such as our SP-800 Portable Fume Extractor with a HEPA filter option. Dust collectors (also known as air purifiers, air cleaners, and filtration systems) can help improve IAQ by removing potentially hazardous emissions at their source, before they can enter a worker’s breathing space.

Contact us today for a free consultation with one of our indoor environmental specialists to find out which one of our air cleaning products is right for you.

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