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I have the XYZPrinting da-Vinci-1.0 with ABS filament. I am concerned about ventilation. If this is used inside, what safety precautions are necessary, which are recommended, and/or which are optional?

MathFromScratch
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    There have been many questions about safety before. This is quite likely to be a duplicate of one of them. Have you looked existing questions yet? They might contain the answer you're looking for. – Tom van der Zanden Jun 23 '16 at 21:51
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    You might be able to find the information here: http://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/1292/should-i-enclose-my-3d-printer/1293 of http://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/2/is-3d-printing-safe-for-your-health/12 and http://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/49/are-there-any-methods-of-limiting-exposure-of-hazardous-fumes-and-odors-emitted – kamuro Jun 24 '16 at 07:07
  • @kamuro This printer is enclosed. I did look through at 2/3 of those already. Also, I am not just concerned about when heating, but even when it is off. Or heated via ambient temperatures. Ventilation in general – MathFromScratch Jun 24 '16 at 13:33
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    Hi @MathFromScratch. I noticed there haven't been much activity to this question in a while. Did any of the links above answer it for you? And if not, how might we be able to fill the gap? – Tormod Haugene Jul 04 '16 at 05:58

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Yes... The issue with all 3d printing materials. Not just ABS, but worse with ABS is the fine air particulate and Ultra fine it creates during the 3d printing process. PLA is considered safer than ABS. But I fear people will use this as justification, it is like saying I only smoke one cig a day instead of two so I am safe and healthy. No it really should be taken seriously.

There are a number of scientific papers and articles proving that this is an issue. Specifically that 3d printers release ultra fine particles into the air. Which can damage the lungs over time. I would STRONGLY advise not using a 3d printer around children, or at least putting it in the garage where you will not contaminate your homes air supply.

I.E.

Lot of these have some scary looking graphs. Note that I am being a bit sarcastic when I say "scary looking graphs" the take away is ABS has twice the Fine Partical emission as PLA. However should you be worried, is still up to debate. The idea is that FPE can maybe contribute to cancer or other illnesses. FPEs are thought to irritate the lungs.

These graphs are of the ultra fine particle emissions. enter image description here

enter image description here

as you can see PLA is MUCH safer in this regard.

I cannot find the paper at the moment, but the recommendation is a full air cycle several times an hour. As someone that lives in a Cold state I personally just use PLA and am rolling the dice.

There is another SO where I cover my future plans for an air scrubber.

I will note that other materials such as Polycarbonate should just be plain avoided.

I also want to provide these links on WHY ultra fine particles are bad. In summary they really upset your lungs and are thought to cause lung cancer over time.

Wikipedia on Ultra fine particulates. White paper on ultra fine particulates.

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JJJ
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Most reputable suppliers of filament should have MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) available for the material they are providing. This sheet should provide you with some mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties as well as safety concerns. For the most part an ABS MSDS will tell you that it can be harmful to inhale or consume ABS in any phase state (solid, gas, liquid, etc.).

Although you didn't explicitly state it in your question, your tag will lead to some pretty good answers to a somewhat related question about air filtration options.

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tbm0115
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I haven't printed much ABS but I rapidly realised that printing ABS in an enclosed space soon fills up with fumes, which apart from their toxic nature, see answer above, really stink. I close off the print space rest of the house and wear a two-filter painters respirator when in the same environment and ventilate the room when finished - I live in a temperate zone so leaving the window open isn't always an option and drafts can affect the print. Ideally, I should enclose the printer and filter the airflow but for the amount of ABS I print, it's not an economic option so a respirator it is.

AlanGP
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your fine at practical temperatures. source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrylonitrile_butadiene_styrene#Hazard_for_humans

recommended would probably be set your controller to not go above 380c if your really worried. but it's not needed.

Thaviel
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