Environmental Aspects of Vegetable Oil-Based Lithographic News Inks

Lithographic news inks were evaluated for their potential biodegradation with Gravimetric method (using mixed cultures of soil microorganisms) and the Modified Sturm Test (using activated sludge). Commercial news inks consisting of vehicles prepared with petroleum resin base and either mineral oil or vegetable oil solvents were used for comparison. Results of both methods showed that the USDA inks degraded faster and more completely than either of the petroleum resin based commercial inks. Also comparison of deinking properties and analysis of volatile organic compounds showed the superior environmental properties of the vegetable oil based inks over petroleum resin-based inks.