User Manual

Facts about the Safety of Xerox Products 8
Under normal operating conditions, the toners are entirely stable and no significant decomposition occurs.
When exposed to the proper combination of heat and pressure, the toner simply flows and adheres to the
paper.
Developers are composed of a carrier material and toner. Xerox
®
carriers are based on special grades of
sand, glass, steel or ferrite types of materials. They are generally coated with a small amount of special
polymer to achieve the desired functional behavior in the xerographic equipment.
Toner Inhalation Study
More than 30 years ago, Xerox initiated a comprehensive investigation of the toxicology of inhaled
xerographic toner. We did this because there was no scientific data about the biological effects of long-
term inhalation of toners and other closely related materials such as polymer dusts.
There are two key elements of this work:
The initial investigation focused on rodents that were exposed to low, medium or high levels of a test
toner for the majority of their life span. The inhalation studies did not show any dose-related effect of
exposure on survival and/or causes of death. The results of the study have been communicated to the
appropriate regulatory authorities and continue to be recognized as extremely important investigations
into the properties of inhaled particles. As a part of Xerox’s ongoing Hazard Communication Program, a
summary of these studies is found on the Material Safety Data Sheets for all toners and developers.
Xerox also initiated a complex series of studies of manufacturing and service employees to investigate
possible adverse health consequences associated with occupational exposure to toner. The studies have
been ongoing. The results of the occupational health studies continue to indicate that there is no
significant health effects associated with the exposure to toner at the levels found in manufacturing or
service.
These on-going studies include the health of current employees and an assessment of the causes of
death for people who worked for the company between 1960 and 1982. The analysis to date indicates
that the health and mortality patterns of Xerox employees are consistent with a healthy working
population.
Photoreceptors
A xerographic photoreceptor is a multilayer device in which photoconducting layers are very tightly
bonded to a substrate. The substrate may be a rigid aluminum drum or a flexible metal belt or polyester
film. Most current photoreceptors use a proprietary organic photoconductor. Like all imaging materials,
photoreceptor constituents are subject to rigorous safety evaluation.