Re: Metals in Printing Ink

[Deb Jacobson <djacobso@wmrc.uiuc.edu>]

Rusty,

I represent the Printers' National Environmental Assistance Center
(PNEAC) one of the EPA-OECA Compliance Assistance Centers and did send a
reply to your inquiry.   I regret if you did not receive the
reply.  For more information about printing P2 and compliance issues
please see
www.pneac.org.

In reply to your question, newspapers are typically printed with offset
lithographic printing processes or some flexographic printing
processes.  Approximately 1% of the entire flexographic printing
market is used to print newspapers.

In terms of metals contents, most heavy metals were phased out of
printing inks in the 1970's when the Environmental Protection Act
and RCRA began to impact the use of these materials.  In the 1980's
the technology to develop pigments while achieving color standards
continued to improve and the remaining heavy metals were phased out of
inks.  There are a few exceptions to trace amounts of metals blended
in ink due to the metal compounds are in the pigments that give the ink
the desired color.  These metals blended into the ink do not
necessarily mean the material would be considered hazardous nor are the
metals in a volume that would render the waste hazardous.  

Substitutes for hazardous metal compounds have been developed for
materials using copper, barium and nickel.  These are the most
common metals blended in compound form into ink pigments.  Copper is
commonly found in blue, green, violet and some red inks.  Barium is
commonly found in orange and red inks.  Nickel is found in yellow
inks.  Chromium and lead, at one time, were blended into yellow
ink.  However substitutes have been developed.  There are a few
cases where very minute amounts (less than 1%) chromium compounds
and lead compounds are blended into SPECIALTY inks.  These
are used in very minute quantities and not commonly found.  

If you are referring to the ink's ability to release metals from the
actual newsprint, the response to this question is that there is no
evidence of measurable leaching of metals  (or other hazardous
materials for that matter) from the ink.  The pigments, once the ink
is cured into the newsprint, are encapsulated in the ink resins and
binders, as well as into the fibers of the paper. In other words there
should be no concern over using newsprint (both colored and black and
white) are perfectly safe to use in compost, etc.

I hope this sufficiently addresses your question and that this
explanation reaches your desk top...this time.

Regards,

Debra Jacobson






specific metals are used in the pigments.  However they are At 07:52
AM 8/8/02 -0500, you wrote:
> Forwarded on behalf of Rusty
> Harris-Bishop.  Please reply to p2tech@great-lakes.net.
>
>
> I have a question regarding the color inserts in
> newspapers (I believe it's a flexographic process). Does anyone know if
> they still use metal inks in printing these?
> Does anyone know when they were
> phased out if they were? I have looked on the
> print-tech archives, and didnt' see it answered, and posted a question,
> but it didn't seem to get a response. 
>
> Anyone have any suggestions?
>
> Thanks
>
> Rusty Harris-Bishop
>
> NC DPPEA 
>
> rusty.harris-bishop@ncmail.net
>
> www.p2pays.org

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Debra Jacobson          
E-mail Address djacobso@wmrc.uiuc.edu
IL Waste Management & Research Center / IL Dept of Natural Resources
PNEAC/GPP http://www.pneac.org
GLRPPR http://www.glrppr.uiuc.edu
1010 Jorie Boulevard, Suite 12
Oakbrook, IL  60523
630/472-5019
630/472-5023 Fax
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