3D-Printing May be Toxic: New Study Reveals Plastics Harm Fish Embryos

First Posted: Nov 05, 2015 09:02 AM EST

It turns out that some 3D printed objects may actually be toxic. Scientists have found that some parts produced by commercial 3D printers are toxic to certain fish embryos.

"These 3D printers are like tiny factories in a box," said William Grover, one of the researchers, in a news release. "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 popularity of 3D printers is soaring. The value of the 3D printing market grew from $288 million in 2012 to $2.5 billion in 2013. It's projected to growth to $16.2 billion by 2018. As the price of 3D printers continues to drop, it's likely they'll become more and more common in the household.

In this latest study, the researchers looked at two common types of 3D printers: one that melts plastic to build a part and one 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.

The embryos exposed to parts from the plastic melting printer actually had slightly decreased average survival rates compared to control embryos. That's compared to embryos exposed to parts from the liquid-resin printer, which had significantly decreased survival rates.

"Many people, including myself, are excited about 3D printing," said Grover. "But, we really need to take a step back and ask how safe are these materials?"

The findings are published in the journal Environmental Science &Technology Letters.

3D-Printing: New Program Allows Printer Novices to Create Designs

For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).

See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone

Tags3D printer, 3D-Printing, 3-D printing, plastics, Plastic, Toxins, Toxic, Toxicity