3D Printers Could Be Deadlier Than You Think

Cleopatra reportedly committed suicide by having an asp bite her, as she felt that life is no longer worth living, and since getting a poisonous snake to do the job of an assassin is not a surefire plan that will succeed (just check out Sherlock Holmes as he beat back the “speckled band”), how about taking a more nefarious route? Gift your most bitter rival a 3D printer and have a copious amount of patience, and you’re good to go. Assuming a study from the Illinois Institute of Technology is true, of course, touting that there are certain 3D printers which will emit serious amounts of toxic nanoparticles.

It really depends on the printer temperature and filament type to determine the amount of nanoparticles that are emitted as well as their toxicity levels, but even the lowest emission rate is considered to be high. So much so that the lowest emissions happen to emit 20 billion particles per minute, while the opposite end of the spectrum sees a tenfold rise. In a nutshell, your 3D printer could be killing you slowly by potentially poisoning you as you sleep while your 3D printer is printing something out in your bedroom. These small plastic particles will begin by depositing themselves in your lungs, with the possibility of ending in your brain via your olfactory nerve.

Edwin Kee
Categories: Gadgets, Medical
Tags: 3d printer