Physicochemical Characterization and In Vitro Toxicity of Emissions from a 3D Printer

Details

• Personal Author:
  Bowers L ; Farcas M ; Friend S ; Hammond, Duane R. ; Jackson, J. Scott ; Knepp A ; Mandler W ; Matheson J ; Qi C ; Qian Y ; Stefaniak, Aleksandr B. ; Stueckle, Todd A. ; Thomas T
• Description:
  Three dimensional (3D) printers are widely used for prototyping and building small physical objects in schools, home and businesses. Feedstock material used in 3D printing is polymer thermoplastic filament that may contain additives such as metals, ceramics, wood fiber, carbon fiber, graphene, or silica to impart aesthetic or functional properties. The use of 3D printers with polymer thermoplastics is of concern for workers and consumers because they emit a mixture of ultrafine particles and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are associated with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. The scope of this study was to characterize aerosolized emissions from 3D printers and evaluate their toxic effects in human small airway epithelial cells (SAEC). Emissions were generated from a commercially available 3D printer while operating for 1.5 h with acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) or polycarbonate (PC) filaments. Both particles and VOCs were collected using an impinger sampler. Samples were characterized for their physicochemical properties, cellular cytotoxicity, oxidative stress response, apoptotic effects, and cytokine production. Results showed that printers with PC filaments generated two-fold more particles/ml than ABS. Mean sizes of PC and ABS-emitted particles in cell culture media were 201 +/- 8 nm and 198 +/- 10 nm, respectively. Bisphenol A and styrene were the predominant VOCs collected in the media for the PC and ABS emissions, respectively. At 24 h post exposure, both PC and ABS emissions elicited significantly increased cytotoxicity, with PC being more toxic than ABS. Moreover, PC induced higher production of reactive oxygen species, and decreased in total antioxidant capacity and glutathione peroxidase activity than ABS. Furthermore, both PC and ABS emissions induced apoptosis in SAEC with the PC emissions induced four-fold more apoptotic cells than the ABS emission. Cytokine and chemokine profiling showed that PC emissions induced higher production of seven proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines than ABS. Taken together, the results indicate that the emissions generated by PC and ABS filaments induce toxicity in SAEC, and the exposure to the PC emission induces more toxicity than that of the ABS emission. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aerosols Butadienes Cells, Cultured Chemistry Cytotoxins Environmental Exposure Hazardous Substances Immune System Lung Occupational Health Plastics Polymers Printing Printing, Three-Dimensional Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety Styrene Toxicology Volatile Organic Compounds

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• Keywords:
  3D Printing Acrylonitrile Aerosol Particles Bisphenol A Carbonates Cell Cultures Cell Culture Techniques Cell Death Cellular Effects Chemical Properties Cytokines Cytotoxicity Exposure Assessment Exposure Levels Humans Immune Reaction Lung Cells Oxidative Stress Physical Properties Plastic Films Printer-emitted Particles Printers Reactive Oxygen Species Respiratory System Disorders ROS Sampling Thermal Properties Three Dimensional Printing Toxic Effects Toxic Materials Ultrafine Particles VOCs Volatile Organic Compounds

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• ISSN:
  1096-6080
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary
• Place as Subject:
  Maryland ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 5 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  HELD - Health Effects Laboratory Division ; RHD - Respiratory Health Division ; DART - Division of Applied Research and Technology
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  168
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20055076
• Citation:
  Toxicologist 2019 Mar; 168(1):464
• CAS Registry Number:
  2,2-Bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane (CAS RN 80-05-7) ; Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (CAS RN 9003-56-9) ; Polycarbonates (CAS RN 25766-59-0)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2019
• NORA Priority Area:
  Manufacturing
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  The Toxicologist. Society of Toxicology 58th Annual Meeting and ToxExpo, March 10-14, 2019, Baltimore, Maryland
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:daeffd91fc6ecc60d7728ec4b6cb7247665385e18b6748ebd13ad785bd0b5f70eaa5b60d2eb5f95a0d58d48cb93a36b375814821b16b70a7175a47bf9782388d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/217453/cdc_217453_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 866.25 KB ]