Hackaday reposted this analysis of VOCS emitted by 3D printing plastics. The study has issues, but ABS was repeatedly the worst offender. This is worth thinking about considering how much ABS is running through those machines.
Why do we use ABS instead of the more common and safer PLA?
I believe the major issue is how often people accidentally leave the hot end on. With ABS, it usually takes a few occurrences before it plugs the nozzle. The same occurrence with PLA is likely to kill the nozzle and heat break the first time.
And there are enough prints being used in car interior applications that people would want to print ABS for automotive applications. And having mixed filament with different recommended printing temperatures is asking for trouble.
Meanwhile, there are alternatives to ABS with similar mechanical properties, but none of them have the level of ubiquity that PLA and ABS do, and mixing filaments is trouble.
I hate to say this, but this exact topic has been discussed here before.
If you will also note, the polyprinters have scrubbers on them.
I recognize the overheating/clogging issue as a valid concern, although I’ve never experienced it with PLA.
Switching filament types is understandably out of bounds.
However, the scrubbers are not doing enough to justify the room as VOC safe. If you can smell it, you are ingesting it.
When was the last time that the clogging issue with PLA was investigated? I know a lot of the recipes for PLA filament have changed over the last few years, thus it has become the daily driver of most home 3D printers. It’s not really a good argument to say that convenience of repair justifies a closed room with intolerable air conditions. Furthermore, has any VOC testing been done in the FAB ever?