I have my X1C sitting in my home office. Also, I have a Air Quality monitor in there. Normally the AQI (Air Quality Index*) sits around 1 or 2, even when printing.
However, I just printed some parts with wood-infused PLA. The AQI jumped to an ungodly 230. Ho-lee-■■■■. Opened the window, ran an air-circulating fan, plus the air-filtering fan I have, then got out of the office while that was going on. Let that be a warning to you all; that nice-smelling wood smell, while subtle, is quite unhealthy.
* For the non-US folk, AQI is in the range of 0, meaning really good, to 500. 301+ is considered “Hazardous”.
I do not know what kind of equipment you have to measure, but most cheap consumer stuff just measures particle density for PM10 or PM2.5 and CO. Heating wood to 220+ °C will emit those fumes, and more so as the wood particles are nothing more then sawdust size.
Those levels aren’t good, but they usually are not a big concern unless you are spending half your lifetime in such an environment. Light a few candles and you will also see AQI go through the roof.
But clearly it doesn’t hurt to keep a window open and not sit right next to the printer for many hours, but its still far away from a toxic level.
It measures PM1.0, 2.5 and 10, with a separate readout for each, plus an overall AQI according to some forumula that isn’t simply “highest” or “average” as far as I can tell. LMK if you want me to hunt down the purchasing link.
Oh lol. Seems not to be available in my country and the shop being pissed about it.
Translation is roughly “For political reasons, this product does not exist.”
Now Im sad, that i bought the Ikea airquality sensor. (it detects PM2.5 and tVOC)
What did your device measured on the PM 2.5? Mine shows nothing on PLA. (3-5 usually)
But should it show a difference?
Last time i printed 30%wood, i had no sensor so i cant tell atm if it would show something there.
For “political reasons”? What kind of political reasons could it be invoking, considering that such a statement would be viewed as "politically incorrect "…(except if the products would have to be imported from the very few countries that are under international sanctions)
I printed now a lot of 30% wood filament, and noticed no change in PM2.5 (3-12)
but if i start cooking (its in the kitchen) i can get values up to 200.
So the meter works, but printing seems to have almost no effect on the PM2.5 concentration.
(oh and a Incense stick raise it instant to over 500)
But you never know, i think wood filament can be very different.
In general i just can say, that i dont see any changes on PLA, TPU, PETG in general, specially compared to daily stuff like cooking.
(it detects PM2.5 and tVOC)