Toxicological Evaluation of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) 3D Printer Emissions

Details

• Personal Author:
  Battelli L ; Bowers L ; Burns D ; Castranova, Vincent ; Farcas MT ; Friend SA ; Hammond, Duane R. ; Jackson, Stephen R. ; Kashon M ; Knepp AK ; LeBeouf R ; Mandler WK ; Matheson J ; McKinney W ; Mercer R ; Orandle M ; Qi C ; Qian Y ; Ranpara, Anand ; Stefaniak, Aleksandr B. ; Stueckle, Todd A. ; Thomas TA ; Winn A
• Description:
  Fused filament fabrication 3D printing with acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) filament emits billions of particles and numerous volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This study sought to investigate the toxicity of ABS emissions from a 3D printer both in vivo and in vitro. For the in vivo studies, Sprague Dawley rats were exposed to real-time ABS printing emissions or air (control) for 4 h/day, 4 days/week for 1, 4, 8, 15, and 30 days. The average aerosolized particle concentration was 0.24 +/- 0.09 mg/m3, and the average median particle electric mobility diameter was 85 nm with an average geometric standard deviation of 1.6. Benzene was the predominant VOC released during printing. At 24 h after the last exposure, rats were assessed for pulmonary injury, inflammation, and oxidative stress as well as systemic and other organ toxicity. Results showed that among the measured cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage, only IL-10 and IFN-gamma at day 1 and 4, and IL-13 at day 30 of the exposure were increased when compared to the air-control. Moreover, neither pulmonary oxidative stress responses nor histopathological changes of the lungs were found among the exposed rats. There were no significant differences in serum cytokines levels or hematological indices, except for an increase in platelets and monocytes at day 15. Several serum biomarkers involved in liver damage were significantly higher at day 1 of the exposure. For the in vitro study, both particles and VOCs were collected into serum-free cell culture medium using an impinger sampler inside a chamber while printing for 1.5 h, followed by characterization of the physicochemical properties, as well as assessment of cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, and cytokine production in human small airway epithelial cells (SAEC). Results showed that particle numbers and VOC concentrations varied between print runs. The particle dose range was 1.42 x 10(6) - 4.72 x 10(6) particles/cm2, and the average median hydrodynamic particle diameter was 168 nm with an average arithmetic standard deviation of 53. Styrene was the predominant VOC collected in the medium. Based on mixed model regression analyses, at 24 h post-exposure, ABS emissions induced significant dose-dependent cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, and production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in SAEC. In conclusion, our in vitro studies indicated that the emissions from ABS 3D printing induced toxicological effects, which were not substantiated by the in vivo studies with the current low exposure concentrations. Thus, more in vivo studies with higher dose-response are needed to verify the in vitro findings. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aerosols Benzene Biomarkers Blood Butadienes Cells, Cultured Chemistry Cytotoxins Environmental Exposure Hematologic Tests Laboratories Lung Occupational Health Printing, Three-Dimensional Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety Styrene Toxicology Volatile Organic Compounds

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• Keywords:
  3D Printing Acrylonitrile Aerosol Particles Blood Serum Cell Cultures Cell Culture Techniques Cellular Effects Chemical Properties Cytokines Cytotoxicity Dose Response Exposure Assessment Exposure Levels Hematology Histopathology Hydrodynamics In Vitro Study In Vivo Study Laboratory Animals Laboratory Testing Liver Damage Lung Cells Oxidative Stress Particle Diameter Physical Properties Printer-emitted Particles Pulmonary Effects Regression Analysis Respiratory System Disorders Three Dimensional Printing Toxic Effects VOCs Volatile Organic Compounds

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• ISSN:
  1096-6080
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary
• Place as Subject:
  California ; Maryland ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 5 ; OSHA Region 9 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  HELD - Health Effects Laboratory Division ; DFSE - Division of Field Studies and Engineering ; RHD - Respiratory Health Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  164-165
• Volume:
  174
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20058875
• Citation:
  Toxicologist 2020 Mar; 174(1):164-165
• CAS Registry Number:
  Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (CAS RN 9003-56-9) ; Benzene (CAS RN 71-43-2) ; Styrene (CAS RN 100-42-5)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2020
• NORA Priority Area:
  Manufacturing
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  The Toxicologist. Society of Toxicology 59th Annual Meeting and ToxExpo, March 15-19, 2020, Anaheim, California
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:36f907fad56cf4d0a1b78972ae9779d2f55e09cfd88218e57f10a7df3860ecc9daa7b573b3cfb8fe4b483b5c6732709bce45b9b1dea5caeaf88a226f54b93f56
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/223250/cdc_223250_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 544.71 KB ]