Printing environmental health: Raising awareness and promoting environmental health education through 3D printing

3D printing facilitates the production of tangible products with applications across multiple disciplines, among which environmental health stands out as a particularly promising field. As a relatively new technology, it is associated with several environmental factors that require attention, including energy consumption and issues related to the nature of its raw materials. However, there is clear potential for achieving sustainable outcomes that support the concept of circular bioeconomy, as seen in the case of inks produced from biomass or waste. Moreover, on-demand 3D printing mitigates the environmental drawbacks of traditional mass production, such as increased transportation needs and higher waste generation. 3D printing can also be used to illustrate the environmental footprint on organs by “printing the impact” or to visualize other aspects of environmental health, such as radiation characteristics, providing solutions for the enhancement of environmental health education. It is also compatible with the One Health concept, as it is used to create constructs that support wildlife, including customized prosthetic parts or larger structures made from biomass waste-derived inks. 3D-printed objects may also prove useful in applications related to pollution management, whether as components of personal wearable devices or larger products designed for pollution control and renewable energy production. Additionally, beyond its role in the restoration of museum exhibits, 3D printing can, under certain circumstances, serve as an alternative to traditional museum loans. By producing high-quality replicas of exhibits, it reduces the need for transportation, thereby lowering the associated environmental burden. This brief article concludes by proposing the creation of a database of ready-to-print replicas of organs that display the impact of environmental factors on health. Such a resource could serve both educational and awareness-raising purposes.