Variability in the inorganic composition of colored acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene and polylactic acid filaments used in 3D printing.

Fused filament fabrication is a 3D printing technique that has gained widespread use from homes to schools to workplaces. Thermoplastic filaments, such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and polylactic acid (PLA), are extruded at temperatures near their respective glass transition temperature or melting point, respectively. Little has been reported on the inorganic elemental composition and concentrations present in these materials or the methods available for extracting that information.

Assessment of Chemical Facility Ethylene Oxide Emissions Using Mobile and Multipoint Monitoring.

Ethylene oxide (EtO) is a hazardous air pollutant that can be emitted from a variety of difficult to measure industrial sources, such as fugitive leaks, wastewater handling, and episodic releases. Emerging next generation emission measurement (NGEM) approaches capable of time-resolved, low parts per billion by volume (ppbv) method detection limits (MDLs) can help facilities understand and reduce EtO and other air pollutant emissions from these sources yielding a range of environmental and public health benefits. In October 2021, a first of its kind 4-day observational study was conducted at an EtO chemical facility in the midwestern United States.