Division of Occupational Medicine, Department of Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Occup Med (Lond). 2017 Dec 2;67(8):652-654. doi: 10.1093/occmed/kqx129.
Three-dimensional (3D) printing is being increasingly used in manufacturing and by small business entrepreneurs and home hobbyists. Exposure to airborne emissions during 3D printing raises the issue of whether there may be adverse health effects associated with these emissions.
We present a case of a worker who developed asthma while using 3D printers, which illustrates that respiratory problems may be associated with 3D printer emissions.
The patient was a 28-year-old self-employed businessman with a past history of asthma in childhood, which had resolved completely by the age of eight. He started using 10 fused deposition modelling 3D printers with acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene filaments in a small work area of approximately 3000 cubic feet. Ten days later, he began to experience recurrent chest tightness, shortness of breath and coughing at work. After 3 months, his work environment was modified by reducing the number of printers, changing to polylactic acid filaments and using an air purifier with an high-efficiency particulate air filter and organic cartridge. His symptoms improved gradually, although he still needed periodic treatment with a salbutamol inhaler. While still symptomatic, a methacholine challenge indicated a provocation concentration causing a 20% fall in FEV1 (PC20) of 4 mg/ml, consistent with mild asthma. Eventually, his symptoms resolved completely and a second methacholine challenge after symptom resolution was normal (PC20 > 16 mg/ml).
This case indicates that workers may develop respiratory problems, including asthma when using 3D printers. Further investigation of the specific airborne emissions and health problems from 3D printing is warranted.
三维（3D）打印技术正越来越多地应用于制造业，也被小型企业创业者和家庭爱好者所采用。3D 打印过程中产生的空气传播排放物引发了这样一个问题，即这些排放物是否可能与健康不良影响有关。
我们报告了一名使用 3D 打印机时出现哮喘的工人病例，该病例说明了呼吸问题可能与 3D 打印机排放物有关。
患者是一名 28 岁的个体经营者，他在儿童时期曾患有哮喘，但在 8 岁时已完全康复。他开始在一个大约 3000 立方英尺的小工作区域内使用 10 台使用丙烯腈-丁二烯-苯乙烯细丝的熔丝制造 3D 打印机。10 天后，他开始在工作时反复出现胸闷、呼吸急促和咳嗽。3 个月后，通过减少打印机数量、改用聚乳酸细丝以及使用带有高效微粒空气过滤器和有机碳过滤器的空气净化器，他的工作环境得到了改善。他的症状逐渐改善，但仍需要定期使用沙丁胺醇吸入器治疗。尽管仍有症状，但当他接受乙酰甲胆碱激发试验时，结果显示其 20%用力呼气量（FEV1）下降的激发浓度（PC20）为 4mg/ml，提示为轻度哮喘。最终，他的症状完全缓解，症状缓解后第二次乙酰甲胆碱激发试验正常（PC20>16mg/ml）。
该病例表明，工人在使用 3D 打印机时可能会出现呼吸道问题，包括哮喘。需要进一步调查 3D 打印过程中特定的空气传播排放物和健康问题。
