3D-printable resins, such as those used in dental applications, are marketed as biocompatible. Clear tooth alignment, a multi-billion-dollar business, uses these resins. Many other consumer products use 3D-printable resins.
Two commercially available 3D printed resins, marketed as bioavailable for use in dental applications, easily melt manure around them.
These fertilizers can cause severe poisoning in the oocyte, an abnormal predisposition of the egg that may eventually fertilize, reports a new study of Northwestern Medicine in mouse oocytes.
The research team made this invisible discovery while testing the use of commercially available resins to 3D printed materials to culture genetic cells.
Our results are important because they show leachates from materials commonly used in slate 3D printing as ‘biocompatible’ but may have adverse effects on reproductive health. There is an urgent need to better understand the identity and biological impact of compounds derived from these products. “
Francesca Duncan, Associate Author of Research and Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
The final study was published in the journal Cemosphere on 26 January.
Although there have been a few previous studies examining potential toxins as a result of exposure to 3D printed materials, no study has been conducted examining the potential toxic toxins. be caused by these substances in mammalian models.
“Despite what was revealed around MSPs almost 20 years ago, the potential impact of new products on reproductive health is rarely explored despite their all-encompassing nature. present in our daily lives, “said Duncan.
The clear tooth aligner market that uses resins such as Dental SG (DSG) and Dental LT (DLT) has become a multi-billion-dollar business in recent years, Duncan said, with some companies ‘use of 3D printing techniques in manufacturing because of their ability to produce quickly.
Duncan and colleagues identified the leachates of the resins using mass spectroscopy and named Tinuvin-292, a commercial light stable commonly used in the manufacture of plastic products.
The results of this study may go far beyond just 3D printing, however, Duncan said, given that Tinuvin-292 is a common additive used in the manufacture of 3D printing. manufacture many different types of consumer plastic products.
But even beyond dental applications, 3D printed materials are being used more frequently due to recent technological advances that are making them easy to manufacture.
Although the results of the study provide only evidence for egg toxicity of these substances in an in vitro setting, further study is needed as to whether in vivo effects are possible, scientists said. This is especially true for DLT resins, which aim to make oral preservatives that need to stay in a person’s mouth for long periods of time, leading to extended exposure in the body.
“The results show that genital poisoning should be a priority when identifying all substances that humans may be exposed to either in a medical setting or in their daily lives,” said Duncan. .
Regarding the next steps, scientists plan to study whether egg poisoning at in vivo exposures on DSG and DLT resins is similar to what happens in vitro, a study of whether there are gender differences in genital toxicity such as response to DSG and DLT, and study human exposure. levels to Tinuvin 292.
Source:
Magazine Reference:
Rogers, HB, et al. (2021) Dental resins used in 3D printing technologies release ovo-toxic leachates. Cemosphere. doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.129003.