Ink fumes concern

[indigo5500]

Hey guys I operate an HP INDIGO 5500 digital press and was wondering how harmful are these ink fumes to ones health??? and was also wondering these digital presses if they release Volatile Organic Compounds which i hurd is really bad for health ...please and thank you

[RGPW17100]

Ozone is probably the only concern. We have been running indigos for years and have never had a health concern let alone any smells

[indigo5500]

ozone? what is that?......what i do know is that we have ozone filters which i was told filters out all the bad stuff .....but just concerned if it has the baility to damage ones brain or liver or sumtin like that

[RGPW17100]

Ozone filters dont catch it all but I dont think it is as bad for you as it is for the environment. Our indigo has the fresh laundry smell and that is what the technician is saying is ozone. I read here that any stock that has indigo ink on it can not be used for paper recycling and has to be used for board recycling. Guess the ink can not be de inked off the sheet making it useless to the recyclers. I think the only problem you will have with indigo inks and fuser oils is if you were to ingest them. Then again most of the stuff we use in printing will have that effect like press wash, IPA, MRC etc

[tuxon]

ozone? what is that?......what i do know is that we have ozone filters which i was told filters out all the bad stuff .....but just concerned if it has the baility to damage ones brain or liver or sumtin like that

Sorry.... had to laugh at that! Whats Ozone? - only the thing that keeps us from being fried to a crisp here on this rock! - Oh... and damage to one's liver and brain can be completed after work in the appropriate bar!

[indigo5500]

so these fumes and stuff dont have any side effects at all?.....i mean i havent noticed any headaches or anything im just saying in the long run

[BJONES]

Things smell. Not all things that smell are bad for you. A very small part-per-million can have a very big smell. Most people in the industry stop being able to smell whatever it is you are smelling. Wait long enough.

[bblakley]

What Smell??

[Mark Wiedener]

I dispose of waste HP flammable printing ink from many of our Ontario clients and have sampled this waste stream in the past. I have the MSDS on this ink and it is a petroleum hydrocarbon based ink and imaging oil. Volatile Organic Compounds are very much present in solvent based products such as this. Proper ventilation would be a good recommendation but I would also recommend a portable air filtration system to treat the ambient air by the work area close to source. mark@greenflow.com for more information.

I can forward the MSDS to you. On the first page they talk about inhalation of the hydrocarbons. Just needs to be managed at source and creating a down draft to keep voc's near the floor and collected through activated carbon is a great economical way to deal with this issue for fumes as well as dust control.

Good luck.

[brent]

I have been working in printing for over 20 years. People come in all the time and mention the ink smell. I can't smell it EVER. Maybe my third arm growing out of my back has something to do with it!