Pulmonary Evaluation of Whole-Body Inhalation Exposure of Polycarbonate (PC) Filament 3D Printer Emissions in Rats

Details

• Personal Author:
  Battelli L ; Farcas MT ; Friend SA ; Knepp A ; Lebouf R ; Mandler W ; Mattheson JA ; McKinney W ; Qian Y ; Service S ; Thomas TA
• Description:
  Three-dimensional (3-D) printing is an emerging technology, and increasing evidence shows that fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3-D printing using polycarbonate (PC) filaments often releases a significant amount of ultrafine particulates (UFPs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Toxicological implications of these emissions on human health still have not been fully determined. This study sought to determine if 3D printing emissions induced pulmonary and systemic toxicity in rats. A real-time whole body inhalation exposure system was applied in this study. Three commercially available desktop polycarbonate 3D printers were concurrently printing to generate aerosol with a mixture of particles and VOCs. Male Sprague Dawley rats were exposed to a single concentration of PC emissions or filtered air for 4 hours/day, 4 days/week for 1, 4, 8, 15, and 30 days. The PC average emissions delivered to the exposure chamber had average mass concentration of 0.5 mg/ m3 with a count-median electric mobility diameter of 70 nm. The average count concentration was 460,760 particles/cm3. At 24 hours after the last exposure, the rats were examined for pulmonary injury, inflammation, and fibrotic responses via bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) analysis. In addition, several blood biomarkers of muscle, renal, hepatic and metabolic function were assessed. Our results showed that PC particles were deposited in the alveolar region and were engulfed by macrophages. The morphological analysis demonstrated that the particle uptake had not induced changes in alveolar macrophage cell morphology. Furthermore, there were no significant changes in LDH activity, the number of total cells and the cell differential in BALF of exposed rats. In addition, no significant changes were observed in selective cytokines and chemokines in BALF or in biomarkers of muscle, metabolic, renal, and hepatic function in blood. Taken together, exposure to PC emissions at 0.5 mg/m3 did not produce significant changes in bronchoalveolar markers of lung damage or blood markers of altered muscle, renal, hepatic and metabolic function at 1-day post-exposure. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aerosols Animals Biomarkers Blood Macrophages Occupational Health Printing, Three-Dimensional Respiratory System Safety Toxicology Volatile Organic Compounds

  More +
• Keywords:
  3D Printing Animal Studies Inhalation Studies Three Dimensional Printing Ultrafine Particulates VOCs Volatile Organic Compounds
• ISSN:
  1096-6080
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary
• Place as Subject:
  Maryland ; OSHA Region 3 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  HELD - Health Effects Laboratory Division ; RHD - Respiratory Health Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  192
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20067223
• Citation:
  Toxicologist 2023 Mar; 192(S1):428
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2023
• NORA Priority Area:
  Manufacturing
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  The Toxicologist. Society of Toxicology 62nd Annual Meeting & ToxExpo, March 19-23, 2023, Nashville, Tennessee
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:cf4051e86eff17bf1427d5ac3cee502e11a03ffe45775c4ee60bceb0c0c3da29eb2576d82b451bd595e0ab5d9fe488ef3557b649459c3d7a11b99ae5f3ce6da1
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/231349/cdc_231349_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.11 MB ]