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• Concentrations of most VOCs were below permissible exposure levels. • Concentrations of all metals were below permissible exposure levels. • ABS filaments exhibited highest concentrations of particles. • The use of 3D printers may pose potential hazards to human health. Concerns persist regarding potential health risks in 3D printing environments due to the emission of various chemicals. This systematic review and meta-analysis study aimed to investigate exposure to pollutants in 3D printing processes. A systematic search was conducted across five electronic bibliographic databases using three distinct keyword combinations. The researcher then screened the articles and selected those relevant to the study. Subsequently, data were extracted from these articles. The pooled concentrations were also computed by meta-analysis. A total of 137 articles were included in this study. The pollutants emitted by 3D printers encompass particles and aerosols, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), metals and fumes, carbonyl compounds, inorganic gases, and other compounds. The highest concentrations of particles were associated with powder and selective laser melting (SLM) processes, which could exceed permissible exposure levels. Among filaments, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate (PETG) filaments exhibited the highest concentrations of particles. Concentrations of all metals were below threshold limit value (TLV). However, the concentrations of carbonyls for polylactic acid (PLA) filaments and formaldehyde for acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) exceeded permissible exposure levels. While the concentrations of most VOCs were below TLV, the total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) concentrations for PLA, ABS, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), and glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate (PETG) filaments were found to be higher than the permissible exposure level. These results indicate that the use of 3D printers may pose potential hazards to human health. Therefore, control measures, such as proper filtration and ventilation, should be implemented to safeguard the health of individuals.
Khoshakhlagh et al. (Sat,) studied this question.