Captain sues marine company for exposure to toxic fumes

Chemical exposure ruined health and future, seaman alleges

Health and safety lawsuits can be
expensive for employers.

Comal County resident Paul Whetstone seeks more than $1 million in damages from a marine company he claims exposed him to toxic chemicals.

He was ordered to repair his ship after the Ashton T ran aground on the Galveston north jetty in March 2012. Whetstone was first captain of the vessel.

Whetstone claims that he had to work “in a closed environment with little or no ventilation and ingested fumes and vapors from paint, polyurethane, welding gasses and other toxic and harmful substances in the air.”

Whetstone filed a Jones Act lawsuit against T&T Offshore Inc. and T&T Marine Inc. in Galveston County District Court.

In his suit, Whetstone claims he now wears a pacemaker following the incident last year in which “his heart and entire central nervous system shut down and he died.” Whetstone was revived and stabilized shortly afterwards, but rendered unable to work again, the suit says.

Seaman now requires pacemaker because of ship’s toxic fumes, court papers say

He also claims that he was made to eat and sleep “in this environment” and not allowed to leave the Ashton T.

Whetstone claims he requested adequate protection from “such harmful and deadly fumes, vapors and metals in the air” to no avail.

He was released from duty on April 28, 2012, and Whetstone states he was taken to San Antonio’s Baptist Hospital where surgeons installed the pacemaker.

According to the suit, the pacemaker “has permanently prevented the plaintiff from performing any form of work activity in the maritime and aviation fields because he is no longer qualified to maintain his ship captain and aviation license(s).”

A jury trial is requested.

Source: Southeast Texas Record

Combat chemical fumes with carbon air cleaners

Working with hazardous materials in closed environments or indoor spaces requires adequate health and safety measures.

Electrocorp air cleaners for chemicals and
particles work in enclosed spaces.
Shown: Welding fume extraction

Aside from personal protective equipment and improved ventilation, the right type of air cleaner can also significantly improve the air quality in these spaces.

Electrocorp offers a wide range of air purifiers for the workplace, which can remove airborne chemicals, vapors, fumes and odors, as well as particles and biological contaminants.

The air cleaners can tackle welding fumes, paint vapors, gasoline fumes and other airborne chemicals with a superior activated carbon filter featuring many pounds of carbon.

Contact Electrocorp for more information and ask about specialized carbon blends as well as other options.

City wastewater system caused smell that plagues residents

(Florida) The residents of Paradise Island mobile home park have smelled it. But they did not cause it. That was what a $60,700 study concluded, settling once and for all a yearslong disagreement between Paradise Island park manager Nancy Perry and Largo City Manager Mac Craig over who's to blame for the funky smell that periodically blankets the 828-unit park.

The study, summarized last week for the City Commission, puts the blame on the city's wastewater system. Which is what Perry has been saying for two years.

"Do I feel vindicated? Yes, I do," Perry said. "I pinpointed the problem. And I feel very good about that."
When Perry first complained in 2010, Craig told her the problem had to be in Paradise Island's private lines because Largo spends hundreds of thousands of dollars each year on odor control for its wastewater system. The odor control works by neutralizing the chemical that causes sewage stink: hydrogen sulfide.

Staff from Webster Environmental Associates, a Louisville, Ky., company that specializes in odor control, still found high levels of hydrogen sulfide in the city sewer system near Paradise Island, 1001 Starkey Road.
Webster Vice President J.W. "Buz" Rush told commissioners several factors create the high levels of hydrogen sulfide, including a lift station not far from the park. Lift stations are spots where pumps move wastewater through low-lying areas because gravity doesn't do the trick.

"Any time you have a lot of splashing and turbulence," Rush told the commission, "that's when hydrogen sulfide is released."

The city will enact a number of short-term fixes over the next six months that cost about $10,000, said City Engineer Leland Dicus. Among them: trying different odor control chemicals and making design improvements to the city's wastewater system in the area.

City staff will also incorporate the study's findings into more expensive long-term improvements. Largo is making those improvements to its wastewater system already as part of a 2006 consent order from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for violating federal and state regulations.

Dicus did not say, however, whether Largo will reimburse Paradise Island $15,000 Perry says the park spent repairing corrosion in private sewer lines that caused a sinkhole in 2009. Perry says more repairs are needed, and she said her park will spend another $15,000 to $20,000 to fix corrosion caused by hydrogen sulfide from Largo's system.

Craig said he will meet with Perry to discuss a resolution.

"We are willing to work out something that both sides can live with," he wrote in an email.
Perry is happy the city paid for the study and hopes the recommended fixes to the city's sewer lines work.
"We're watching the situation," she said, "as it flows along."

Source: Tampa Bay Times

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Wastewater odor solutions with industrial activated carbon. Contact an Electrocorp Air Quality Specialist for a solution analysis.

Cleaner air in chemical laboratories

Laboratory workers and those in nearby buildings may
be affected by poor indoor air quality.

Indoor air quality in chemical laboratory facilities can be a major concern. Older laboratories in schools or universities may expose workers to a range of contaminants.

In extreme cases, the air exhausted from labs can also affect the air quality inside nearby buildings.

Many different variables interact to change the air quality in labs, including:

• Research protocols
• Work practices and individual behaviors
• Laboratory housekeeping
• Design and operation of the HVAC system

Experts agree that concern is warranted, since even low level chemical exposures can cause discomfort in laboratory workers.

In chemical labs, workers may be exposed to a wide range of chemicals, including chlorinated solvents, ketones, benzene and derivatives (toluene and xylene) as well as other contaminants.

Complex facilities with complex indoor air concerns

Laboratories are complex facilities that require substantial planning and development to provide good indoor air quality at all times.

Most labs have negative pressure relative to non-lab spaces such as corridors and offices, meaning that there is less air supplied into the room than is leaving through the hood exhaust.

Some laboratories, like clean rooms, require positive pressure, however.

Indoor air quality can become a concern if chemical exhausts are cluttered or used inappropriately, if chemicals are inadequately stored or disposed of and if workers are unaware of risks or are mishandling chemicals.

Experts recommend facility staff and user training, routine air sampling, a variable air volume system and other safety precautions.

Source: Steve M. Hays, “Indoor Air Quality in Chemistry Laboratories”, 1999 (PDF)

Cleaner air in chemical laboratories

The RSU air cleaners belong to
Electrocorp's most efficient units.

The right equipment in laboratories is important. Labs that handle many different chemicals often need some extra help in the air cleaning department.

Electrocorp has developed powerful air cleaners for laboratories that come in different sizes and filter combinations to provide the cleanest air possible.

The air cleaners can be configured for negative and positive pressure, if needed, and they can also be attached to fume hoods to draw the air through a deep-bed activated carbon filter and other filters to remove airborne fumes and gases, including chemicals such as benzene, xylene, toluene and more.

Contact Electrocorp for more information.

Follow this blog to show your support for a greener and healthier working environment!

Compensation fund set up for workers affected by welding fumes

Plaintiffs in welding fume litigation cases
may be able to benefit from a resolution fund.

Exposure to welding fumes is a high-risk occupational hazard and often the subject of legal pursuits.

Now a US District Judge has set up a fund for a $21.5 million settlement in a multidistrict litigation over the hazardous effects of welding fumes.

The Welding Fume Resolution Fund created by Judge Kathleen M. O’Malley is overseen by a fund administrator, who can determine how the money is dispersed, in accordance with Law360.

The multidistrict litigation involved almost 100 lawsuits, and another 700 or more were pending in other state or federal courts.

The plaintiffs in these lawsuits sought compensation for allegedly developing brain damage after exposure to dangerous welding fumes containing manganese from welding rods.

What are the effects of manganese?

Manganese poisoning (also known as manganism or “welders’ disease”) is caused by excessive exposure to the chemical element manganese (Mn), which is an essential component in iron and steel production.

The disease is sometimes mistaken for Parkinson’s disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease, or multiple sclerosis.

Manganese poisoning has been the subject of a number of product liability suits brought by welders who claim that manufacturers failed to warn that their products could cause welding fumes to contain dangerously high manganese concentrations.

The MDL agreement was reached earlier this year and affects many of these plaintiffs trying to get some justice in court.

Source: Sokolove Law

Welding fume extractors can remove dangerous chemicals, gases

One of Electrocorp's
welding fume extractors
with source capture.

Welding is an important part of many business processes, but keeping workers’ health and safety in mind has to be of utmost importance.

Electrocorp has developed industrial strength air cleaners for welding fume extraction that can handle the different chemicals, gases and toxins present in welding fumes.

The welding fume extractors contain a deep-bed activated carbon filter for gaseous pollutants, a source capture attachment for protection right where it’s needed and other filters for maximum overall dependability.

Contact Electrocorp for more information and options.

Related posts:  

• Sick welder sues welding rod manufacturer
• Study probes effect of dust, welding fumes on women
• Occupational risk: Former welders are often clumsier
• Metal fume fever a persisting problem, toxicologists say

  

Male fertility at risk from formaldehyde exposure

Researchers found work-related formaldehyde
exposure could lead to fertility problems.

Men who are exposed to formaldehyde at work could have a harder time starting a family, according to a team of Chinese researchers.

Their research suggests that high levels of exposure to the chemical may reduce fertility in men.

The study involved a group of married men who were exposed to formaldehyde at their workplace in a wood processing facility.

It took their wives three times as long to get pregnant, compared to the wives of men who were not exposed to formaldehyde on the job.

Previous animal studies have shown that exposure to formaldehyde can decrease the quality and quantity of sperm, so this research is in line with those findings.

Source: Private MD Labs

What is formaldehyde?

Formaldehyde is a colorless, flammable gas or liquid with a pungent, suffocating odor. It is a volatile organic compound that has been linked to cancer.

Formaldehyde is used in a wide range of commercial and industrial applications, including as a tissue preservative in medical laboratories and as an embalming fluid in mortuaries.

Occupational health and safety concerns from formaldehyde are especially a concern for workers in a hospital, laboratory, mortuary, or chemical plant.

Higher amounts of formaldehyde can become a problem for people who work as a doctor, nurse, dentist, veterinarian, pharmacist, pathologist, embalmer, clothing or furniture factory worker, or teacher or student working in a laboratory with preserved specimens.

Source: National Library of Medicine

Remove formaldehyde vapors with GAC air filters

Specially impregnated granular activated carbon (GAC) is one of the most efficient and affordable filtration media to remove airborne formaldehyde fumes as well as other VOCs and chemicals.

Activated carbon can remove
formaldehyde and other VOCs.

Electrocorp offers portable and powerful air cleaners that maximize the effectiveness of carbon with superior airflow design, the largest adsorbent surface areas and custom carbon blends.

With a vast line of air cleaners for commercial and industrial applications, Electrocorp offers air purification systems for

• Odor and chemical control
• Chemical processing plants
• Hospitals and Healthcare
• Laboratories
• Beauty Salons and Spas
• Funeral Homes and Embalming
• And many more industries

Contact Electrocorp for more information and recommendations.
 

EPA proposes rules to curb uses of toxic chemicals

Additional testing on health and environmental impacts of PBDEs requested by agency

The EPA wants to control the use of certain
chemicals that could be harmful to human health.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wants companies to report all new uses of five groups of potentially harmful chemicals.

This would apply to new uses in domestic or imported products, including paints, inks, pigments and dyes in textiles, flame retardants in flexible foams and plasticizers.

The five chemicals targeted by EPA are

1. polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs)
2. benzidine dyes
3. a short chain chlorinated paraffin
4. hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD)
5. phthalate di-n-pentyl phthalate (DnPP)

Even though many of these chemicals are no longer used in the United States, people could be exposed to them in imported products, according to the EPA.

The proposed regulatory actions are known as significant new use rules (SNUR) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

If the rules are passed, it would mean that any company that intends to manufacture, import or process any of the above chemicals will have to notify the EPA at least 90 days before, so that the EPA can respond and limit the use if necessary.

Source: EPA

Curb toxic chemicals at work

Many companies and employers do work with potentially harmful chemicals that may affect their workers’ health and well-being.

Electrocorp offers powerful air cleaners for commercial and industrial applications that can help remove dangerous chemicals, odors and fumes as well as particles and other pollutants from the ambient air.

The air cleaners feature a multistage filtration system with activated carbon, HEPA, optional UV and other filters.

Industry-specific solutions are also available.

Contact Electrocorp for more information.
 

Report pegs industrial air cleaner market at $6.3 billion US for 2012

Activated carbon is a preferred adsorbent for
gaseous contaminants in many industrial applications.

The Scrubber/Adsorber/Biofilter World Markets report by McIlvaine paints a positive outlook for the industry for next year – forecasting demand from the pulp and paper, chemicals, metals, mining, waste incineration, refining and waste-water industries.

The biggest market will be East Asia by far, the report says, with North America in the second position.

The Canadian and American pulp and paper industry may be looking at scrubbers for recovery furnaces, lime kilns and toxin remobal elsewhere in the processes.

China and Indonesia are expected to be big purchasers, especially for the steel industry (to capture dust and other emissions) and the cement industry, while Indonesia and other East Asia countries have a growing pulp and paper industry in need of odor and chemical control.

Source: Filtration+Separation

Industrial air cleaners for improved IAQ

AirRhino: Powerful air cleaner

Electrocorp offers complete air treatment solutions for a range of industry and business application, including

• Pulp and paper mills
• Chemical processing plants
• Odor and chemical control

The air cleaners feature a large activated carbon filter, HEPA and UV filtration to remove many chemicals, odors, gases, fumes, particles, dust, bacteria, viruses and mold from the ambient air.

Different carbon blends are available to target specific gaseous pollutants.

Contact Electrocorp for more information and recommendations.
  

Cleanup method for dangerous chemicals in the textile industry

Is it possible to end up with clean water
after the textile dying process?

Clothing and fabrics are often defined by their color and patterns – but the textile dying process is one of the most environmentally hazardous aspects of the textile industry.

During the dying process, harmful chemicals are used and released into the ambient air and the environment, as waste is often disposed of in rivers and on agricultural land.

A new, environmentally friendly purification process developed by Biotechnology doctoral student Maria Jonstrup at Lund University promises a much greener way of getting rid of the chemicals by leaving only clean water at the end.

The research has been tested only at the lab, not at the factory, but "in the long term it should be possible for textile factories in India, China and Bangladesh to use the technique. If it works on a laboratory scale it is quite likely that it will also work in a real-life situation", Jonstrup says in a news release.

The new method combines two types of purification processes, one biological and one chemical.

In the biological step, microorganism break down the dyes in a reactor and the chemical step involves the use of small amounts of iron and hydrogen peroxide in combination with UV light.

The research will next be tested in larger volumes of water to reflect industry conditions, and researchers will try to use sunlight instead of UV.

Source: Lund University news release

Capture airborne chemicals and other toxins in industrial applications

Electrocorp has designed versatile industrial air cleaners that combine the most efficient filtration technologies to remove airborne chemicals, gases, fumes, odors, particles, pathogens and other contaminants.

The air cleaners are equipped with deep-bed carbon filters, the most effective filtration media to adsorb gaseous pollutants, HEPA and particle filters for particulate matter and other options such as UV germicidal filtration to neutralize bacteria, viruses and molds.

The air cleaners come in many different styles, sizes, filter combinations and customizable forms. They can be used as stand-alone air treatment systems, hung up on the ceiling or on the wall or attached to existing HVAC systems.

Speak to an Electrocorp representative about industry-specific solutions and recommendations based on your needs and requirements.
  

Old dry cleaning businesses in need of contamination cleanup

Dry cleaning. Photo by Simon Law

When a longtime dry cleaning operation in Little Chute shut down after almost 50 years in business, the real work started.

That’s because the owners left not only decaying machinery at the downtown facility, but high levels of tetrachloroethylene, a popular dry cleaning chemical commonly known as “perc.”

Perc is a colorless liquid and sometimes called "dry-cleaning fluid." It has a sweet odor detectable by most people and it can cause a reaction in people who are chemically sensitive.

NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) considers the chemical a possible carcinogen.

The site needed official remediation services by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which cleaned up the contaminated soil and groundwater.

This is certainly not a unique example of perc contamination caused by dry cleaners.

The use of perc is widespread. While it is slowly being phased out, between 65 and 70 percent of the country's estimated 25,000 dry-cleaning facilities still use the solvent, industry representatives have said.

Many businesses have been operating since before environmentally safe waste disposal regulations existed and it was a common practice to dump the cleaning chemical in the backyard or down the drain.

Often, the contaminated soil needs to be dug up and replaced with clean dirt.

Source: Post Crescent article

Use industrial strength air cleaners to breathe healthier air

Electrocorp specializes in portable, highly efficient air cleaners for businesses and commercial applications.

The air cleaners remove the widest range of indoor air pollutants with a multistage filtration system that contains activated carbon, HEPA, UV (optional) and pre-filters.

The units can also be customized with custom carbon blends, special bag filters, or deeper carbon beds to target industry-specific pollutants.

For dry cleaning operations and businesses with high levels of airborne chemicals, consider Electrocorp's versatile RSU Series, which features air cleaners in various sizes and filter configurations.

Contact Electrocorp for more information and options.

Welding industry looking for young workers

Electrocorp's welding fume extractors capture many toxins
right at the source.

While it may be difficult for people in some industries to find a job these days, it doesn’t look like qualified welders will run into that problem anytime soon.

According to some sources, there is a mass shortage of skilled welders, as more than 50,000 workers retire each year and only 25,000 new prospects enter the workplace annually.

The U.S. Department of Labor estimates there will be 450,000 open welding positions by 2014.

The average welder is in his or her mid-50s, according to the agency, and the job, with its toxic fumes and ultrabright flames that can damage the eyes, isn't amenable to older workers.

Welding is one of those professions dominated by men, although women's share of the field inched up from 5 percent to 6 percent in the five years ending in 2005, according to the Department of Labor.

Protect yourself from harmful welding fumes

Welding is a respected profession with good pay, but risks include loud noise, intense heat, glaring light and toxic welding fumes.

The Fume Extractor LD450

Welders are protected under occupational health and safety standards, but being aware of the risks and making sure that individual protection is adequate is essential for long-term job viability.

The dangerous fumes and gases originate from the metals that are welded and the coatings, residues and solvents. A wide range of toxins can be captured at the source with ventilation hoods and/or an industrial-strength air cleaner with fume extraction.

Electrocorp’s portable fume extractor series is designed for TIG, MIG and arc welding operations. The air cleaners feature a spark arrestor, a flexible source capture arm, a 40 to 80 lb. activated carbon filter to adsorb and trap welding fumes, gases and chemicals, custom carbon blends to enhance the adsorption power for certain gaseous pollutants, and HEPA filters for particle control.

Contact Electrocorp for more information and options and ask about our free webinars: 1-866-667-0297.  

TCE more dangerous than previously thought

TCE contamination is a public health risk.

The industrial solvent trichloroethylene (TCE) just got an upgraded risk assessment from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which found that it causes kidney and liver cancer, lymphoma and other health problems.

As one of the most widespread groundwater contaminants in the nation, TCE may thus be more dangerous than previously thought.

The findings could lead to higher cleanup costs and a new federal drinking-water standard for the contaminant, which currently stands at 5 parts per billion in water and 1 microgram per cubic meter in the air.

According to EPA officials, the new risk assessment could affect cleanup strategies at 761 Superfund sites. TCE has been found in almost every state, but a lot of it is in California, including two Superfund sites on military bases Camp Pendleton and Edwards Air Force Base.

Underground plumes of TCE often lead to high ambient levels of the chemical in the air and affect people in their homes, at work or on the move. Soil vapor intrusion in homes above contaminated groundwater is a major concern, experts say.

What is TCE?

The chlorinated solvent was developed by chemists in the late 19th century and was widely used after the Second World War as a metal degreaser, as a chemical intermediate and extractant, and as a component of some consumer products.

TCE is designated as a Hazardous Air Pollutant, is a common groundwater contaminant, and has been found at more than 1,500 hazardous waste sites, according to EPA.

TCE can be released to indoor air from the use of TCE-containing consumer products, volatilization from water supplies, and vapor intrusion through walls and floors from contaminated soil and groundwater.

Air cleaners for better indoor air quality

RAP 204:
Strong air cleaner

Only an industrial-strength air cleaner with a large activated carbon filter can remove airborne chemicals, odors, gases and fumes that contribute to poor indoor air quality.

Electrocorp’s portable air treatment systems are equipped with the largest carbon filters in the industry as well as HEPA and other filters to capture the widest range of contaminants from the ambient air.

Electrocorp works with environmental consultants and government agencies to provide cleaner air in many indoor spaces and also offers residential air purifiers with carbon + HEPA filtration for single- or double-family units that may be affected by soil vapor intrusion or other IAQ concerns.

Contact Electrocorp today for more information on our air cleaners, our exclusive carbon blends to target specific contaminants and other available options.

Source: Los Angeles Times, EPA
  
Related posts:

• TCE in Havertown Superfund site
• Vapor intrusion in Ohio spurs health concerns
• Vapor intrusion: Danger seeping out of forgotten wells

  

Health and safety program to be shut down at WSU

Health and safety is an important workplace requirement.

A Wayne State University program training scientists to recognize and monitor health and safety risks in the workplace and in the environment is set to be terminated due to financial cutbacks.

The Board of Governors voted Sept. 21 to shut down Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences program at the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, after the college was asked to cut 1.7 percent from its total budget.

The request came as part of university-wide budget restrictions, but the decision to shut down the program has divided staff members at the university.

Board members are hoping that parts of the program will be reinstated in another capacity, so that some occupational health programs would be a part of the public health department, for example.

Health and Safety at the workplace

Many occupations require stringent health and safety measures to protect workers, companies and clients – but even the “average office job” needs to provide a safe and healthy environment to increase productivity and minimize health risks.

Granular activated carbon removes odors
and adsorbs chemicals and VOCs.

Indoor air quality has become a main concern for workers.

That is why Electrocorp specializes in the development and manufacturing of air treatment systems for the workplace.

Whether it’s an air cleaner for the office and office printer fumes, an air scrubber for odor and chemical removal, a source capture unit for welding fumes or hair treatments, or an air cleaner for labs and healthcare settings, Electrocorp offers these and more as part of its diverse product lineup.

The industrial air cleaners remove a wide range of indoor air pollutants from the ambient air, including chemicals, gases, odors, particles, pathogens and other toxins, with a multistage filtration system featuring a deep bed of granular activated carbon, a HEPA, micro-HEPA or Super-HEPA, pre-filters, optional UV germicidal filtration and other specialized options to meet the needs and requirements of your specific industry. Ask about Electrocorp's custom carbon blends.

Contact Electrocorp for more information: 1-866-667-0297.
 

FDA cracks down on Brazilian Blowout hair treatment

Keratin hair treatments may release
formaldehyde fumes.

After health warnings and hazard alerts from organizations such as OSHA (the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration) about the potential dangers from chemicals released by popular hair smoothing and hair straightening products such as Brazilian Blowout, the US Food and Drug Administration is entering the ring.

The FDA has sent a warning letter to the makers of Brazilian Blowout, saying that the product contains the liquid form of formaldehyde, which has been classified as a carcinogen.

Most at risk are the stylists that are regularly applying the product on clients’ hair and inhaling the fumes that are released in the process.

FDA specifically warned the company that its product is misbranded when it says that there is “No Formaldehyde” or that it is “Formaldehyde Free.”

The manufacturer of Brazilian Blowout has until mid-September to address the violations cited by the FDA or risk having its product seized.

Salon workers using the hair straightening product have complained about the following possible health effects:

• Eye and throat irritation
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Burning sensations
• Breathing problems
• Nosebleeds
• Chest pain
• Vomiting 
• Rashes

The cancer-causing chemical formaldehyde is released when hair treated with Brazilian Blowout is heated with a blow dryer and then with a hot flat iron, as the product's labeling recommends.

The formaldehyde helps bind keratin to hair and helps straightening it. FDA’s analysis found that the level of formaldehyde in the product was as high as the embalming fluid used in funeral homes – and way past the level that is considered safe.

0.2 % is considered "safe" -- Brazilian Blowout
contains as much as 10.4% formaldehyde

Brazilian Blowout has already been banned in Canada.

Source: Time Healthland


Air cleaners for hair salons and spas

The CleanBreeze 3 captures toxins
right at the source with a flexible arm.

It’s not only keratin-based hair products that release toxic chemicals when used – any hair products with fragrance, hair dyes and hair sprays can release harmful pollutants into the ambient air.

Electrocorp has designed a number of air cleaners for hair salons and spas that feature a large activated carbon filter to adsorb chemicals and odors as well as a HEPA filter and pre-filters for the removal of particles and dust.

The stand-alone air cleaners with source capture attachment provide a cost-effective and powerful air cleaning solution to salons and spas where floor space is limited, and Electrocorp also offers source capture solutions that can be incorporated into the design of the salon.

Contact us today for more information and recommendations: 1-866-667-0297.
  

Jersey’s dry cleaning industry gets health boost

Dry cleaning. Photo by Simon Law

A grant program set up by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in New Jersey helps small business owners replace old dry cleaning machines that use toxic chemicals.

The program aims to reduce the amount of chemicals released by dry cleaning machines, especially older models that use the harmful chemical perchlolroethylene (PCE).

Since the beginning of the program about seven months ago, 285 dry cleaners have applied for the grant and 86 have been approved so far.

Of approximately 1,600 dry cleaning facilities in New Jersey, 1,100 use PCE as a dry cleaning solvent.

For the allocation of the grant money, priority is given to dry cleaning businesses located in residential settings, such as apartment buildings, mixed commercial and residential strip malls and those located within 50 feet of day care centers.


The dangers of PCE

Perchloroethylene, also known as tetrachloroethylene, is a colourless liquid widely used for dry cleaning of fabrics. The industrial chemical is sometimes called "dry-cleaning fluid." It has a sweet odor detectable by most people and it can cause a reaction in people who are chemically sensitive.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified tetrachloroethene as a Group 2A carcinogen, which means that the cleaning chemical is probably carcinogenic to humans. It has been estimated that about 85% of tetrachloroethylene is released into the atmosphere.

Vapors that escape from poorly maintained or faulty dry cleaning machines can seep through walls and into adjacent apartments or businesses. According to the article, PCE is also one of the more difficult contaminants to deal with if it gets into water through spills or leaks because it sinks to the bottom of water supplies.


Industrial-strength air cleaners a boon for small businesses

The RSU Series can help small and
medium business owners improve
their indoor air quality.

Until PCE-using dry cleaning machines can be phased out, small and medium businesses can help protect themselves and their surroundings by installing powerful air purification systems.

Electrocorp’s units feature the deepest beds of activated carbon on the market to remove chemicals, gases and odors from the air, and they also feature HEPA and pre-filters for superior particle control.

If you are concerned about the air quality in your business or neighborhood, contact us today.

Source: http://www.northjersey.com/news/environment/announcements/116795773_Grant_helps_rid_pollutants_from_dry_cleaning_process_.html