Inkjet printing and the clean air act

Inkjet printing is widely used to output images. While many believe inkjet to be a green technology, there are environmental issues associated with its use - primarily emissions to air. The Clean Air Act regulates the emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). Both categories of substances are found in inkjet ink systems. To determine whether air regulations impact their operations, all inkjet printing facilities should calculate their total emissions of VOCs and HAPs. These emissions include both potential-to-emit (based on maximum operating capabilities of the equipment and facility) and actual emissions (based on actual operation conditions). Only by making these calculations and comparing the findings to the local regulations, can a digital printer determine their regulatory compliance requirements. Regulations vary across the U.S., based on the quality of the air in the specific geographic location.