Survey of chemical substances in consumer products No. 173
3D pens are small handheld tools that can extrude plastic material in thin strings and thus used to create figures in 3D. Several types of 3D pens are marketed for children. The Environmental Protection Agency wishes to gain more knowledge about the content of chemical substances in materials used in 3D pens and to assess whether children’s use of 3D pens can pose a health risk. The survey shows that the materials used in 3D pens for children, primary cure do to temperature reduction or UV lighting. Screening analysis of materials for 3D pens indicated content of a wide range of chemical substances. 16 substances were selected for quantitative analysis, of which 4 (styrene, vanillin, acrylic acid and n-butyl methacrylate) were selected for health risk assessment. Based on the assessment the content of styrene and vanillin was not expected to pose a risk, but the risk calculations for acrylic acid and n-butyl methacrylate content could not exclude that the thresholds for health effects can be exceeded in a worst-case scenario assuming full migration. Both substances were identified in liquid materials that cure do to UV lighting. This survey is the first on 3D pens. It focuses on exposure to chemical substances, but it was not possible within the framework of the project to quantify and assess all identified chemical substances in the materials studied. Also, measurements have not been made in real-life situations or examined aspects such as combination effects and particle formation in relation to the risk assessment of children's use of 3D pens