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220-1202 Practice Question: During a printer toner replacement, a technician…
During a printer toner replacement, a technician accidentally spills toner powder on the carpet. What is the proper cleanup procedure?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA often tests the misconception that any vacuum or damp cloth is acceptable for toner cleanup, but the trap is that only a HEPA-filter vacuum combined with cold water blotting prevents particle dispersion and permanent staining.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Blot the toner with a cold, damp cloth and then use a HEPA-filter vacuum.
Toner powder is extremely fine and can become airborne if mishandled. Blotting with a cold, damp cloth prevents the toner from spreading, and using a HEPA-filter vacuum ensures that microscopic toner particles are trapped without being exhausted back into the environment. Standard vacuum cleaners lack HEPA filtration and can release toner dust into the air, causing respiratory hazards.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Use a vacuum cleaner with a standard bag to suck up the toner.
Why it's wrong here
Standard vacuum cleaners lack the fine filtration necessary to capture toner's microscopic particles, which are often less than 10 microns in size. Their bags typically allow these fine particles to pass through, aerosolizing them into the air and creating a significant respiratory hazard. Furthermore, the static electricity generated by a standard vacuum can potentially ignite the combustible toner dust, posing a fire risk within the device and environment.
- ✗
Wipe the toner with a damp cloth using hot water.
Why it's wrong here
Toner is a thermoplastic powder, meaning it softens and melts when exposed to heat. Using hot water or vigorous wiping with a damp cloth generates sufficient heat and friction to cause the toner particles to fuse. This action embeds the melted toner into the fibers of carpets or upholstery, making the stain permanent and virtually impossible to remove without damaging the material.
- ✓
Blot the toner with a cold, damp cloth and then use a HEPA-filter vacuum.
Why this is correct
Blotting with a cold, damp cloth is crucial as cold water prevents the thermoplastic toner from melting and bonding to surfaces, while blotting avoids spreading the fine powder. Subsequently, a HEPA-filter vacuum is essential because its high-efficiency particulate air filter captures 99.97% of airborne particles 0.3 microns or larger. This ensures effective removal of the fine toner particles without re-releasing them into the environment, protecting both health and equipment.
- ✗
Sweep the toner into a dustpan and dispose of it in the trash.
Why it's wrong here
Sweeping toner with a broom and dustpan is highly ineffective and dangerous due to the extremely fine and lightweight nature of toner particles. This action creates air currents that easily lift the microscopic toner into the atmosphere, causing it to become airborne and respirable. Consequently, sweeping significantly increases the risk of inhalation, spreads the contamination over a much wider area, and makes cleanup more challenging.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1202 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 220-1202 exam.