Study shows some 3-D printed objects are toxic

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-11/uoc--sss110415.php

Public Release: 4-Nov-2015
Study shows some 3-D printed objects are toxic
Researchers find zebrafish embryos die at alarming rates when exposed to certain 3-D printed materials
University of California - Riverside

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (http://www.ucr.edu) -- Researchers at the University of California, Riverside have found parts produced by some commercial 3D printers are toxic to certain fish embryos. Their results have raised questions about how to dispose of parts and waste materials from 3D printers.

"These 3D printers are like tiny factories in a box," said William Grover, an assistant professor of bioengineering in the Bourns College of Engineering. "We regulate factories. We would never bring one into our home. Yet, we are starting to bring these 3D printers into our homes like they are toasters."

The researchers studied two common types of 3D printers: one that melts plastic to build a part, and another that uses light to turn a liquid into a solid part. They found that parts from both types of printers were measurably toxic to zebrafish embryos, and parts from the liquid-based printer were the most toxic. They also developed a simple post-printing treatment - exposure to ultraviolet light - that reduced the toxicity of parts from the liquid-based printer.

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