Self-reported symptoms associated with the use of printer and photocopier machines: Results from the nano-Control, International Foundation survey.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To document adverse health effects among office, copy and print shop workers using the nano-Control International Organization Survey. METHODS: Self-reported information on 16 health outcomes and three surrogate exposure variables were collected from 1998 individuals between 1999-2010. Logistic regression models, adjusted for age, gender, and smoking status, assessed the association between printer exposure and health symptoms. RESULTS: Among the participants, 61.9 % were office workers, 5.5% technicians and 23.3% held other professions. Technicians had a higher risk for cancer compared to office workers (OR = 2.5, p-value <0.01). Visible toner dust exposure was associated with chronic fatigue (OR = 9.6, <0.01), bronchial hyperresponsiveness (OR = 5.1, <0.01), cardiovascular diseases (OR = 3.6, <0.01), asthma, allergies, and other diseases (OR range 1.4 -3.2, <0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The increased chronic and acute health risks among these workers warrant further investigations of causal associations.