3D printer ventilation and hazard assessment

The U of MN College of Design has a DigiFabLab 3D printing lab that opened on October 14, 2011.

http://www1.umn.edu/news/prod/groups/ur/@pub/@ur/@news/documents/multimedia/ur_multimedia_359504.jpg

Consumer Grade 3-D printers produce ultrafine nano particles.  According to a July 25, 2013 article by Nicole Bogart, Global News the hazards posed by the ultrafine particles are similar to those posed by cooking, scented candles and possibly cigarette smoke.

Michael Molitch-Hou 3D Printing industry July 29, 2013 reports on a French study that notes an increase in the number of ultrafine particles during the operation of multiple 3D printers in one room.  The particle generation is similar to that noted during cooking.  The toxicity of the particles is not known.  The authors recommend local exhaust ventilation.  A chart of the ultrafine particle production is listed below.

http://cdn.3dprintingindustry.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/chart-450.jpg (click to enlarge)

Sentry Air Systems provides a good background into the toxicity of 3-D printing. (ABS or PLA)

The primary chemicals used in ABS 3-D printing are Acrylonitrile, Butadiene and Styrene.  These chemicals have relatively low exposure limits ranging from 1 to 50 ppm averaged over 8  hours and 10 ppm for a 15 minute short term exposure limit for Acrylonitrile.

For information on PLA (Poly Lactic Acid) - Wikipedia  -  The material is good for containing materials at room temperature.  It will melt if used for hot beverages. 

Nano particle production (physics.org - 2013) :  Illinois Institute of Technology researchers

PLA - lower temperature   20 billion nanoparticles per minute
ABS - higher temperature  200 billion nanoparticles per minute.

From this information it would be prudent to use local exhaust ventilation for 3D printers using ABS and HEPA filtration for PLA. 

Bioremediation of Fracking water with Dr. Larry Wackett

Dr. Larry Wackett

Dr. Larry Wackett gave a talk on bioremediation of shale Fracking water at our University of Minnesota staff retreat.  He uses bacteria encased in a filter media to breakdown a wide variety of chemicals into carbon dioxide and water.  He is looking for a partner to scale it up for on site application.

The U of MN news service also provided a feature article on Cleaning up water from Fracking 

Summary of Dr. Larry Wackett's Talk 

 

Turning wine into water with Doc Hendley

http://winetowater.org/

CNN reports on a former bartender, Doc Hendley's efforts to turn wine into water.  He takes money earned through tips and wine tasting events  and his website WinetoWater.org and uses it to buy and install filters for water in war ravaged or disaster plagued countries such as Syria and the Philippines.  He also personally travels to the areas at considerable risk to personal safety.

Wine to Water



Doc Hendley's TED Talk

Mold Remediation Course April 22 - 23, 2014- cancelled - U of M Minneapolis, MN

The U of MN School of Public Health is offering a 16 hour Mold Remediation course starting on April 22, 2014. - Cancelled

The course is a good refresher for public health specialists, hospital facilities managers, property managers, mold remediation specialists, building inspectors and indoor air quality professionals.  Students will learn how to conduct an inspection for mold in a building and  how to respond to a water event.  Hands on training includes sampling techniques for mold identification, use of  thermal imaging and moisture meters.  Individuals will also have the opportunity to suit up and construct a containment barrier.

Click on the highlighted text for more information on the mold remediation training.  Cost for the two day workshop is $400.  Class size is limited to less than 14 people.

Example of training provided at the workshop on contact agar and tease tape sampling.

Victims of Fungal Meningitis Still Struggling

NPR reporter Nancy Shute interviewed Dr. Thomas Kerkering about patients recovery from the injections of fungal contaminated steroids from the NECC.

The numbers:

751 contracted fungal meningitis
64 died.

Symptoms: strokes, back pain, headaches fevers.

Read the full article in the New England Journal of Medicine: Fungal Infections Associated with Contaminated Methylprednisolone Injections  N. Engl. J. Med. 2013; 369:1598-1609 October 24, 2013.

Meningitis Outbreak in the US Nov 2012

IRSST Publication - Sampling Guide for Air Contaminants in the workplace 8th Edition

IRSST Publication - Sampling Guide for Air Contaminants in the workplace 8th Edition is available for free download. 

In the nonregulated ROHS section I have some concerns.

Be careful when using it to interpret standards.  The level listed for isoflurane is 80 mg/cubic meter based on a Swedish study.  More recent NIOSH recommendations are 2 ppm as either a STEL or an 8 hour TWA.

The spore limit is listed at 13 spores per cubic meter and there is no reference given for this number. 

Carbon Dioxide Plume Geothermal Technology or CPG

A Minnesota Daily article covers Heat Mining Company' purchase of the CPG technology from the University of Minnesota.

Carbon dioxide from coal fired or natural gas fired power plants is injected into a saline aquifer with a geothermal reservoir.  The heated carbon dioxide produces electricity through an expansion turbine.

I reported on this earlier in 2011.  Dr. Martin Sarr was using geothermal compressed carbon dioxide to produce electricity.

Storm related electrical grid interuptions increase by a factor of 10 from 1992 to 2008

Increasingly Vulnerable: the number of incidents caused by extreme weather has increased 10-fold since 1992. Weather-related events are more severe, with an average of 180,000 customers affected per event.

Source: Energy Information Administration, U.S. Global Change Research Program.

 http://www.startribune.com/blogs/226358811.html

Local AIHA Professional Development Conference November 21, 2013

The local AIHA annual professional development conference will be held on November 21, 2013 in Minneapolis, MN.

Early Bird member egistration price of $100 is available at the Upper Midwest AIHA website.    Limited space is also available for vendors.

One of the featured presentations will cover an update by G. Ramachandran, U of Minnesota, on the MN taconite Workers Study.

 

Tesla vehicle catches fire

http://green.autoblog.com/2013/10/02/tesla-model-s-fire/

On October 1, 2013 in Kent, Washington a Tesla vehicle caught fire after hitting an object in the road.  The driver pulled over and was able to escape the blaze unharmed.  The fire was confined to the front of the vehicle.  The flames were extinguished by a local fire department.

 

July, 2014 - In two separate accidents the Tesla drivers survived two dramatic crashes including one where the Tesla split in half.