Abstract
ROOMS in which xerography machines are used for document reproduction frequently have a strong, characteristic ‘selenium’ smell. It seemed likely that this is caused by selenium compounds released from the selenium plates or drums charged with high voltages in the photosensitising step of the photoelectric printing process. To test this hypothesis, we sampled the air in an unventilated room (48 m3 in volume) housing a xerographic machine, on which some 450–475 copies were reproduced in intermittent use daily. The air was drawn by a small sampling pump at a rate of 1 foot3 h−1 through a fritted diffuser into 20 ml of 0.1 N NaOH for 9 h d−1 for 4 d. The selenium trapped (0.005–0.015 µg) was determined according to the fluorimetric method of Olson1.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Olson, O. E., J. Ass. off. agric. Chem., 52, 627–634 (1969).
John, W., Kaifer, R., Rahn, K., and Wesolowski, J. J., Atmos. Environ., 7, 107–118 (1973).
Hashimoto, Y., and Winchester, J. W., Environ. Sci. Tech., 1, 338–339 (1967).
Ganther, H. E., in Selenium (edit. by Zingaro, R. A., and Cooper, W. C.), 546–614 (Van Nostrand–Reinhold, New York, 1974).
Scott, M. L., J. Nutr., 103, 803–809 (1974).
Lakin, H. W., in Trace Elements in the Environment (edit. by Kothny, E. L.), 96–111 (Am. Chem. Soc. Washington, DC, 1973).
Moxon, A. L., and Olson, O. E., in Selenium (edit. by Zingaro, R. A., and Cooper, W. C.), 675–707 (Van Nostrand–Reinhold, New York, 1974).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
HARKIN, J., DONG, A. & CHESTERS, G. Elevation of selenium levels in air by xerography. Nature 259, 204–205 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1038/259204b0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/259204b0
- Springer Nature Limited
This article is cited by
-
Model ecosystem, toxicity, and uptake evaluation of75Se-selenite
Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology (1980)
-
Elevation of selenium levels in air by xerography
Nature (1976)
-
Elevation of selenium levels in air by xerography (reply)
Nature (1976)