Gao Yuan, Xue Yawei, Sun Chenyang, She Luhang, Peng Ying
Instrumentation and Service Center for Science and Technology, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai 519087, China.
Research and Development Center for Watershed Environmental Eco-Engineering, Advanced Institute of Natural Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai 519087, China.
Toxics. 2025 Apr 4;13(4):276. doi: 10.3390/toxics13040276.
The utilization of 3D printing releases a multitude of harmful gas pollutants, posing potential health risks to operators. Materials extrusion (ME; also known as fused deposition modeling (FDM)), a widely adopted 3D printing technology, predominantly employs acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and polylactic acid (PLA) as printing materials, with the respective market shares of these materials reaching approximately 75%. The extensive usage of ABS and PLA during the ME process leads to significant volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, thereby deteriorating the quality of indoor air. Nevertheless, information regarding the emission characteristics of VOCs and their influencing factors, as well as the toxicological impacts of the printing processes, remains largely unknown. Herein, we thoroughly reviewed the emission characteristics of VOCs released during ME printing processes using ABS and PLA in various printing environments, such as chambers, laboratories, and workplaces, as well as their potential influencing factors under different environmental conditions. A total of 62 VOC substances were identified in chamber studies using ABS and PLA filaments; for example, styrene had an emission rate of 0.29-113.10 μg/min, and isopropyl alcohol had an emission rate of 3.55-56.53 μg/min. Emission rates vary depending on the composition of the filament's raw materials, additives (such as dyes and stabilizers), printing conditions (temperature), the printer's condition (whether it has closure), and other factors. Additionally, we reviewed the toxicological concerns associated with hazardous VOC species commonly detected during the ME printing process and estimated cancer and non-cancer risks for users after long-term inhalation exposure. Potential health hazards associated with inhalation exposure to benzene, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, styrene, and other substances were identified, which were calculated based on concentrations measured in real indoor environments. This study provides valuable insights for future research on the development of ME printing technologies and offers suggestions to reduce VOC emissions to protect users.
3D打印的使用会释放出大量有害气体污染物，对操作人员构成潜在健康风险。材料挤出（ME；也称为熔融沉积建模（FDM））是一种广泛采用的3D打印技术，主要使用丙烯腈-丁二烯-苯乙烯（ABS）和聚乳酸（PLA）作为打印材料，这些材料的市场份额分别约为75%。在ME过程中大量使用ABS和PLA会导致大量挥发性有机化合物（VOC）排放，从而使室内空气质量恶化。然而，关于VOCs的排放特性及其影响因素，以及打印过程的毒理学影响，目前仍知之甚少。在此，我们全面回顾了在各种打印环境（如腔室、实验室和工作场所）中使用ABS和PLA进行ME打印过程中释放的VOCs的排放特性，以及不同环境条件下的潜在影响因素。在使用ABS和PLA长丝的腔室研究中总共鉴定出62种VOC物质；例如，苯乙烯的排放速率为0.29 - 113.10μg/分钟，异丙醇的排放速率为3.55 - 56.53μg/分钟。排放速率因长丝原材料的组成、添加剂（如染料和稳定剂）、打印条件（温度）、打印机状况（是否有封闭装置）以及其他因素而异。此外，我们还回顾了与ME打印过程中常见的有害VOC种类相关的毒理学问题，并估计了用户长期吸入暴露后的癌症和非癌症风险。确定了与吸入接触苯、甲醛、乙醛、苯乙烯和其他物质相关的潜在健康危害，这些危害是根据实际室内环境中测量的浓度计算得出的。本研究为未来ME打印技术的发展研究提供了有价值的见解，并为减少VOC排放以保护用户提供了建议。
