The Fume Be-Gone

June 12, 2025

I realllyyy want to get a 3d printer. It would be so nifty for hardware projects and fixing stuff and convenience and some other things I can't think of right now.

There's just one small problem...You see, there's a tendency for heating up things to cause nasty fumes to be emitted. To my great disappointment, this is also true for 3d printing. I plan on mostly(if not exclusively) printing in PLA, as it's all I can really afford. When doing research on this topic, I encountered many dismissive comments about the potential risks of printing with specificially PLA. While it may produce less of them, basically all filaments produce UFPs(ultra-fine particles) and VOCs(volatile organic compounds).

(1)UFPs can deposit in the distal lung regions (alveoli) and lung parenchyma and penetrate into the heart and bloodstream, which can cause significant damage to the respiratory system, cardiovascular system and all organs. I like having a well functioning respiratory and cardivascular system, thank you.

(2) VOCs can cause reactions such as eye irritation, nose irritation, damage to the central nervous system, cancer, and interestingly, headaches. I've actually heard testimonials of people experiencing headaches from being too close to their printers, so I think proceeding with caution is a good idea.

A note befroe we proceed. If you read the articles I've linked above, you'll notice that a multitude of common household items release VOCs and UFPs. Somewhat ironically, air fresheners are also a culprit. While this has been used to argue against worrying about 3d printer emmissions, I think it speaks to a larger issue of how inisdious pollution is in our world. And what's worse is that we aren't sure of the long term effects. While this project mainly focuses on 3d printing, I'd HIGHLY encourage you to learn more about maintaining good air quality in your residence. Start with something like HEPA air filter or Corsi-Rosenthal box. Happy learning!

In the interest of living a long and healthy life(and the same for my approximately 6 housemates), I've come up with what should be a pretty functional ventilation setup.

I'll keep the printer in our living room, which ironically is the least lived-in room in my house. The printer will be kept inside of a grow tent, and there will be some ventilation tubing that runs out of a nearby window. I think I'll also design a custom window attachment for it, but for funsies will only print it once I acquire a 3d printer. Since this is kinda...basic for a project I want 6 points for, I also plan on making a custom air quality monitor to be attached near the printer.

Another thing! My ventilation setup requires exhausting to the outside. This will likely cause the temperature in the enclosure to go down. While this might be a problem with other filaments, it's actually kinda perfect for PLA as an enclosure in the first place can cause it to get too hot. So the cooling caused by venting helps counteract this effect!

Now that the yapping is done, here are some skectches for what everything will look like:

Time spent: 3 hours