Have you ever spilled toner from a laser printer?
If you haven’t, you may be surprised to hear a fine powder comes flying out…
Not a liquid.
And this stuff is incredibly airborne. Spreads everywhere like 30 mile an hour winds blowing through a field of dandelions
Whenever you print something, most of it gets on the paper, but a good amount wafts through the air and gets into your lungs.
Probably not enough to cause any damage though…right?
Actually, a West Virginia University study shows that the fumes are strong enough to cause damage in your lungs at the genetic level – within a day. [R]
There are tons of chemicals in the toner, but there’s one in particular that you should be most afraid of… Xenoestrogens.
Xenoestrogens are “foreign” sources of the emasculating hormone, estrogen.
These substances are close enough in molecular structure to actual estrogen that they can bind to estrogen receptor sites in the body with potentially hazardous outcomes.
Other sources of xenoestrogens include plastics, pesticides, chemicals, and water systems.
Is it at all surprising that testosterone and masculinity is at an all-time low when everything from junk food to office appliances are pumping estrogen into men?
While a natural amount of estrogen in males is healthy, excess levels lead to breast growth, infertility, muscle shrinkage, weight gain, soft skin, facial hair loss, etc.
It’s degrading enough to sit in an office following orders all day, but doing it next to a blasting estrogen diffuser is salt on the wound.
If you work at an office with a printer in the same room, get it out of there.
Let your employer know that the fume from the printer is making you unwell.
Go as far as taking a sick day if you need to prove your point.
You need to keep that stuff out of your lungs.
If you have a printer at home, keep it in a room that isn’t frequently occupied.
A laundry room or basement will do.
Print wirelessly, go in, grab your sheets, and go.