The office printer could be more dangerious to the lungs than smoking a Professor from the Queensland University of Technology has warned.
Lidia Morawska said that air quality tests by Australian scientists on dozens of laser printers revealed that almost 30 per cent emit potentially dangerous levels of tiny toner-like material into the air.
The ultra-fine particles are capable of infiltrating the lungs and causing lasting damage on the scale of inhaled cigarette smoke.
Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald Morawska said that the particles penetrate deep into the lungs where they can pose a significant health threat.
The university's International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health found that 17 of 62 printers were "high particle emitters".