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From: fiesta@cbnewsi.ATT.COM (eric.c.beck)
Newsgroups: unix-pc.general,comp.sys.att,sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Conductive Dust Bunnies
Summary: photocopier toner - bad for the kidneys too?
Message-ID: <321@cbnewsi.ATT.COM>
Date: 23 Jun 89 02:32:56 GMT
References: <1989Jun14.042949.597@ivucsb.sba.ca.us> <19512@cup.portal.com> <224@bongo.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 20

>     The average office environment is filled with conductive dust. This dust 
> can be purchased at many stationary stores, to buy it just ask for 
> photocopier toner (laser printer toner works too). This dust is mostly 
> carbon, often with some paraffin wax.

	I thought the toner consisted of extremely fine plastic particles
which, after being attracted to the paper by a static charge, are melted
into the paper by the "hot plate" inside the copier.

> photocopier. If you want to know how much toner they throw into the 
> atmosphere, look at the walls and carpet or your photocopier room. Black 
> lung disease an occupational health problem in the reprographics dept?

	A copier tech once told me that the toner could be absorbed into
the body through the skin (!?) afterwhich it would collect in the kidneys
and cause "permanent" damage (e.g. clog them up).  Anybody else ever here
of this??

Eric Beck
fiesta@homxb.att.com