Comparative analysis of ventilation efficiency on ultrafine particle removal in university MakerSpaces.

The proliferation of 3D printing MakerSpaces in university settings has led to an increased risk of student and technician exposure to ultrafine particles. New MakerSpaces do not have standardized specifications to aid in the design of the space; therefore, a need exists to characterize the impacts of different engineering controls on MakerSpace air quality. This study compares three university MakerSpaces: a library MakerSpace operating ≤4 devices under typical office space ventilation with no engineering controls, a laboratory MakerSpace operating 29 printers inside grated cabinets, with laboratory-grade ventilation, and a center MakerSpace operating ≤4 devices with neither engineering controls nor internal ventilation.