Welcome to the Website of nano-Control, International Foundation! Overview:
On the website www.sicher-drucken.de you will find hints (not in English available yet).
InfoRecollection of asbestos: In 1900, the industrial boom of asbestos started by patenting Eternit (cement asbestos) which was later used in more than 3,000 products. Already in the same year asbestosis was discovered as disease. In 1943, lung cancer as a result of exposure to asbestos was recognized as an occupational disease, but it was not until 1993 when asbestos was forbidden in Germany and not before 2005 throughout the EU. Worldwide up to now. Ten thousands of people will have to die torturously due to the results of asbestos. Short info The international foundation nano-Control has got involved with healthy indoor air. According to the European Commission, annually 266,000 people die alone in Europe due to a pollution with particulate matter. According to the World Health Organization, chronic obstructive respiratory tract diseases have become the most common cause of death—worldwide! In 1995, the U.S. Environmental Agency found out: “The biggest risk for national health comes from indoor air.” Anyhow, our policy has failed up to now to protect our indoor air. The result: Millions of people constantly inhale dangerous harmful substances, particulate matter and toxic nano-particles, e.g. of laser printers and copying machines. There is urgent need for action. A global problem: toner dust and emissions of laser printers and copying machines Laser printers are almost everywhere nowadays. But it is hardly known that these devices quite often pollute our breathable air with an unfiltered mix of harmful substances, particulate matter and nano-particles. Analyses regularly show dangerous harmful substances. The LGA Bayern (a public-law corporation in Bavaria), one of the most experienced measuring institutes, explained: “It cannot be denied that laser printers emit volatile organic compounds (VOC), ozone and toner dust during the process of printing.” Even heavy metals have been detected regularly and more and more frequently organic tin compounds, like the ultra-toxic tributyl tin are found. Already in 2005, our Federal Environmental Agency detected high emissions of ultra-fine particles emitted by laser printers. Within the scope of the pilot study of the Gießen University, pollutions with particulate matter were detected continuously in the offices, which would—outdoors—lead to bans on driving. Every print job can increase the pollution with particulate matter considerably. The pollution with ultra-fine particles which have been partly identified as toner-typical heavy metals and volatile organic compounds is especially high. In 2007, an Australian study confirmed that a bulk of laser printers to some extent considerably pollutes our indoor air with ultra-fine particles. Peak values came up to cigarette smoke. Our Federal Office for Materials Research (BAM) detected a peak pollution of more than a billion particles after printing only one single page. Within the scope of the studies of our Federal Environmental Agency, the Gießen University and Queensland University, laser printers of Hewlett-Packard and Kyocera were examined first of all. Harmful substances, dangerous particulate matter and nano-particles with a toxic impact end up in our breathable air unfiltered due to the air emission of laser printers. A special problem: The finer the dust is, the bigger the dangerous impact on your health. Furthermore, the tiny particles can infiltrate into skin and lung! For this reason, they arrive, for example, in the blood circulation after passing the alveoles and from there they infiltrate into the whole body and as a result also into all organs. The dangerous particulate matter and especially the ultra-fine nano-particles break all physical barriers like Trojans. They can infiltrate even into the brain ( http://royalsociety.org/downloaddoc.asp?id=2375) and have a toxic and carcinogenic impact solely due to their enormous reactive surface. Scientific tests of human lung cells with brand toners carried out by the Gießen and Freiburg Universities even showed a genotoxic and cytotoxic impact; DNA and chromosomes were broken—the lung cells were destroyed. They are also held responsible for thromboses, heart attacks and apoplexia (Helmholtz Institute: dusty vessels). Harmful substances in toner and emissions of laser printers The following substances have been detected in toners and emissions of laser printers and copying machines to a considerable amount:
The harmful substances in toners and their emissions vary from product to product. Obviously, there is no product safety! Examples for pollution with harmful substances: benzene acute impact: irritation of eyes, respiratory tract, skin, disorder of central nervous system chronic impact: irritation of mucous membranes, disorder of central and peripheral nervous system In a Lexmark toner for HP Laser Jet 4/5 and for Canon EP-E the LGA Bayern ( a public-law corporation in Bavaria) has detected 30 mg/kg styrole (magazine Computerbild 8/00). aluminum nickel cobalt tin organic compounds: State of research Nov. 2006: Mainfocus: Toner Emissions—Current State of Knowledge, Six Abstracts Presented by the German Scientific Journal 2006, Umweltmedizin in Forschung und Praxis 11, 2006 (5) March 2007: aakkola MS, Yang L, Ieromnimon A, Jaakkola JJ: 01/08/07: Morawska L et al: Printer Particle Emissions Add up, Pilot study of the Gießen University 10/12/07, TSI-Bibliography: Particle Printer Emissions Research March 2008: Richard Gminski, Katharina Decker, Christina Heinz, Volker Mersch-Sundermann (2008): Cytotoxic and Genotoxic Effects of Three Representative Reprographic Toner Dusts and their Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) Extracts on Cultured Human Epithelial A 549 Lung Cells in vitro. Naunym-Schmiedeberg’s Archives of Pharmacology. German Association for experimental and clinical pharmacology and toxicology. Abstracts of the 49th Annual Meeting 11-13 March 2008, Mainz, Germany, Poster 413, p. 82 Aug. 2008: Wensing Michael et al: Evaluation of Ultrafine Particle Emissions from Laser Printers Using Emission Test Chambers. Fraunhofer Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut (WKI) Adetunji H. et al.: Potential Occupational Health Risk from Exposure to Nano-Scale Particles from Photocopiers—A Pilot Study, 2008, School of Technology, Oxford Brookes University, United Kingdom Feb. 2009: Morawska Lidia et al.: An Investigation into the Characteristics and Formation Mechanisms of Particles Originating from the Operation of Laser Printers, Environ. Sci. Technol., 2009, 43 (4), pp 1015–1022 March 2010: nano-Control presents the alarming results of its scientic examinations on the effects of laser printer emissions:
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Nano-Control was founded in Germany in the City of Erfurt, Thüringen, on 19 April 2008 by 79 citizens. The reason were the diseases of many people caused by toner and particulate matter of laser printers and copying machines and the inadequate protection of the citizens by the state. The Government hat not learned anything from the scandals concerning asbest and wood preservatives. The foundation has been involved with healthy indoor air and wants at first throw light on and stop the avoidable damages caused by laser printers. For this, nano-Control will inform the public, see to the scientific research of the risks, stand up for solutions and help the people harmed. Chairman of the foundation is Hans-Joachim Stelting (age-group 1954, a pensioned detective, non-medical practitioner for Chinese medicine, first accepted case of respiratory disease caused by toner dust in Germany, founder of the Interessengemeinschaft Tonergeschädigter—an interest group of toner-harmed people). The foundation nano-Control
The foundation nano-Control carries out the project safer printing in cooperation with committed partners of research, economy, unions, associations and alliances in order to enable safe printing by concrete methods and developments and, for this reason, contribute significantly to an improvement of our indoor air and prevent damage caused to our health. In order to protect yourself effectively against damage caused to your health, you should use ink-jet printers. Modern ink-jet printers are a safe, quick, powerful and increasingly even more and more economic alternative. Even for the business sector ink-jet printers are offered. Market leader Hewlett-Packard advertises: “The clever businessman is printing with ink.” If you don’t have the possibility of removing laser printers from your environment, you should try everything to minimize the pollution:
Help us to achieve healthy indoor air, because breathing means living! The foundation nano-Control has been involved with healthy indoor air and, therefore, also with your health. Help us with active work, with your donation or by becoming sponsor. Donations are primarily used for actual projects, the promotion of scientific work and research according to the purpose of our foundation. We would love to give you advice if you intend to promote projects regularly or if you intend to make large financial allocations to the foundation nano-Control. Allocations to our foundation can be made as external donation or contribution. An external donation increases the capital of the foundation; from those revenues long-term projects will be financed. The international foundation nano-Control has been awarded benefit to the public by the Local Tax Office Erfurt by means of an interim certificate of 5 November 2008. In Germany, the foundation is, therefore, accepted tax-privileged and is authorized to issue donation receipts that are allowed against tax. When it is about amounts up to 100.00 EUR, the remittance slip is also valid as receipt.
If you have any questions, please contact us at any time. If you are constantly suffering from the snuffles, a sore throat, cough, asthma, inflammation of eyes or skin and you don’t know why, then it is possible that the toner of your laser printer or copying machine is making you sick.—Then you should desperately have that clarified. The Interessengemeinschaft Tonergeschädigter (interest group of toner-harmed people, www.krank-durch-toner.de/english.html) will help you with your problem. Please send us a Message ! You will then get competent help and contacts for free. Internationale Stiftung nano - Control , If you have questions or suggestions, please write a message via the following form. We will get in touch with you promptly.
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April 2010: nano-Control reaveals alarming results of research campaign: |
