Hewlett-Packard Rebuts 'Office Smog' Laserjet Study

Hewlett-Packard said Friday that it did not agree with the conclusions reached by an Australian study released last week, which blamed laserjet printers for high levels of indoor air pollution.

In a statement, Hewlett-Packard said that "[a]fter a preliminary review of the Queensland University of Technology research on particle emission characteristics of office printers, HP does not agree with its conclusion or some of the bold claims the authors have made recently in press reports."

HP said "it stands behind the safety of its products."

• Click here to read about the Queensland University of Technology study.

The Queensland study, which did not identify the types of particles that were released into the air, also did not label any particular printer model or manufacturer as a source of the tiny particles, which in certain cases were as concentrated as the particles found in smokers' homes.

But the study also examined "emitters" of the particles; all three models chosen happened to be made by HP.

The study looked at a single office building in Brisbane, Queensland, and identified the laserjets as the source of many of the airborne particulates. It then took the printers found in the office and subjected them to further study.

HP said it had worked with Air Quality Sciences in the United States and the Wilhelm-Klauditz Institute in Germany to conduct the research, which the company classified as a "very new scientific discipline."

"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," HP said.

"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."