Laser printer manufacturer disagrees with reports authors, stands behind safety of its products.

Laser printer manufacturer Hewlett-Packard has come out swinging against a study by Australia’s Queensland University of Technology that found small particles produced by some laser printers could be a health hazard.

The study, conducted by Professor Lidia Morawska, found that 12 of the 13 most pollutant printers were produced by HP. The test consisted of 62 laser printers from a number of different manufacturers where air quality was monitored in both office environs and a special air chamber.

She found that at least one model produced tiny particles at the same rate as smoking a cigarette.

In a statement, HP vice president for marketing, supplies, Tuan Tran said that it does not agree with the conclusion or the “bold claims” made by the study’s authors.

 “HP stands behind the safety of its products. Testing of ultrafine particles is a very new scientific discipline. There are no indications that ultrafine particle (UFP) emissions from laser printing systems are associated with special health risks. Currently, the nature and chemical composition of such particles – whether from a laser printer or from a toaster – cannot be accurately characterized by analytical technology. However, many experts believe that many of the UFPs found in common household and office products are not discrete solid particles, but may be condensation products or small droplets created during thermal processes.” Tran said.

In a sign that HP does not trust the results, it is keen to learn more about the study to find its defects.

“HP hopes to learn more from the study authors about how products were chosen for the study, how ranges were determined given no standards exist, and many other factors that could have influenced the results.” Tran said.

While the QUT study said more study is needed, HP claims that it had already been doing this with two authorities on the subject – Air Quality Services in the US and Wilhelm-Klauditz Institute in Germany.

Tran said, “Based on our own testing, HP knows that many variables can affect the outcome of tests for ultrafine particle emissions. Although HP is not aware of all of the specific methodologies used in the Queensland study, based on what we've seen in the report – as well as our own work in this area – we do not believe there is a link between printer emissions and any public health risk. Specifically, HP does not see an association between printer use by customers and negative health effects for volatile organic compounds, ozone or dust. While we recognize ultrafine, fine, and coarse particles are emitted from printing systems, these levels are consistently below recognized occupational exposure limits.”

Given the study’s findings of HP laser printers, HP’s response is not unsurprising in itself given that the company has a lot to lose should consumers begin to doubt the safety of its laser printers.

In the meantime, until definite results and conclusions are released, it still sounds like it would be a great idea to leave a window open when using your laser printer.