Chounchin_ol_Scownch
Chounchin_ol_Scownch t1_j9w4l3n wrote
This is like if you wanted to drink water from a pond so you threw in a big puck of a water purification tablet and then immediately dipped your cup in the pond. The fumes are not forced through the activated charcoal so it wont remove much at all. Maybe it adsorbs a very small percentage of the total contamination in the room. Even if that printer was in an enclosure that forced all the air through the bag of charcoal before it went into the room, it still would likely not remove much of the pollution.
I think the proper way to use this type of printer is inside an industrial fume hood like those used in labs or for solder stations in places that care about safety. Another option is to wear a properly 'fit-tested' respirator that has a filter designed to remove chemicals and harmful fumes from the air. If you do wear the mask, the room the printer is in should not be used without the mask until the room has been adequately vented. Don't let some underqualified person (such as your manager) tell you when the room is vented enough. Do your own research and present the OSHA recommendations for such an environment as well as the manufacturers recommendations. You can also call up the manufacturer and just chat them up to see what they think.
I soldered circuit boards and cables and used lots of heatshrink in a room with absolutely no ventilation for almost 10 years. The only thing I had was a small fan to blow it away from rising into my face. I'm probably f-cked....
Chounchin_ol_Scownch t1_j9w4z22 wrote
Reply to comment by Draelon in Will a bag of activated charcoal actually passively purify the air in a room? by gtmattz
I hope she had all the proper PPE. Lots of fine particulates I would imagine.