Brazilian Blowout maker settles California lawsuit

False labeling and formaldehyde fumes at heart of hair straightening treatment lawsuit

Women love the look of straight, sleek hair - but treatments
may release high levels of formaldehyde, experts warn.

California’s attorney general announced earlier this week that the makers of Brazilian Blowout, a popular hair straightening treatment used in hair salons and spas, will change their labels to alert consumers of formaldehyde emissions.

With this agreement, they are settling a lawsuit that was filed in November against the company for misleading consumers.

The two products, the Brazilian Blowout Acai Smoothing Solution and Brazilian Blowout Professional Smoothing Solution, were labeled as being formaldehyde-free, but tests showed emissions of formaldehyde when the treatments were applied with high heat.

The products may release formaldehyde at levels above OSHA's permissible limits, and according to OSHA can pose health risks to salon workers.

“Salon owners, stylists, and other salon workers have the right know what is in the products that they are buying and using and how to protect their workers and themselves from formaldehyde exposure,” OSHA states on its website.

Formaldehyde is a known cancer-causing substance. Exposure to formaldehyde can also cause:

•  Eye irritation and damage, including blindness.
•  Nose irritation, including bloody noses.
•  Skin sensitivity, rashes, and itching.
•  Breathing difficulties, such as coughing and wheezing.

Levels of formaldehyde above 0.1 ppm in the air can irritate your nose, throat, and lungs. These symptoms will get worse as formaldehyde levels go up.

In the California lawsuit, attorneys sought full disclosure on the labels and fair notice to consumers.

As part of the settlement, the company making Brazilian Blowout will pay $600,000 in penalties and fines for failing to notify consumers about the chemicals and to have the products tested at a state-approved lab.

The company also agreed to provide beauty salons and spas with a pamphlet containing necessary safety precautions when using the products.

With the new labeling and marketing changes, the products will remain on the California market and can still be a health hazard to stylists, salon workers and clients.

Source: The Washington Post

Improve the air quality in salons and spas

A source capture air cleaner:
Clean Breeze 3

Formaldehyde is one indoor air pollutant that can be found in beauty salons and spas, but other chemicals and fumes may also expose workers and clients to health hazards.

Most existing ventilation systems are unable to remove the contaminants and to provide enough fresh air, which is why many stylists and salon owners turn to portable air cleaners to help improve the air quality.

A salon and spa air cleaner needs many pounds of activated carbon and a special carbon blend to be able to remove a wide range of chemicals and VOCs (volatile organic compounds), including formaldehyde, toluene and ethanol.

In salons where many hair straightening, hair dye and other treatments fill the air with harmful chemicals, a specially designed air cleaner with a flexible arm and source capture attachment is needed to remove harmful toxins right as they are released.

Contact Electrocorp for more information and suggestions.
  

Art conservator challenge: Keeping acrylic paintings spotless

Additives in acrylic paint turn paintings into dirt
collectors and make them difficult to keep clean.
Photo by Cameraman Phil

They were made famous by artists like Mark Rothko, Andy Warhol, Robert Motherwell, and David Hockney: Acrylic paintings.

But 60 years after they first garnered public attention, art conservators are having trouble protecting these paintings from obvious signs of aging.

Acrylic paints were invented in the 1940s and quickly developed into an artistic mainstay. Many artists preferred using acrylic paints to oil because acrylics dry within hours, while oil paints can take weeks or months to dry.

The problem, as art conservators are experiencing these days, lies in the additives that hold acrylic paints together in the liquid stage. The additives turn acrylic paintings into dirt collectors and can make them appear soiled.

Scientists specializing in art conservation are currently concentrating their efforts to find ways to rejuvenate the paintings and keep them looking their best.

Source: American Chemical Society news release

CleanBreeze 3 air cleaner with
source capture hood.

Source capture air cleaners for art conservation

For valuable paintings and collection pieces at risk of soiling or damage from indoor air pollutants, Electrocorp has designed highly efficient portable air cleaners for art conservation and restoration, with a flexible arm and source capture attachment to keep the air as clean as possible.

The air cleaners remove a wide range of indoor air pollutants, including chemicals, VOCs, gases, fumes, particles, dust, bacteria, viruses and molds with an activated carbon + HEPA filter combination.

Exclusive carbon blends can target specific contaminants and the units feature many other customizable options that can help conserve the artifacts.

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

Ventilation problems shut down new welding lab

Gases and fumes released in
the welding process are dangerous.

The students enrolled in the welding program at Washington's Columbia Basin College learned a tough lesson this week about the importance of proper ventilation and adequate protection against welding fumes.

Their lab was shut down after several students were affected by welding fumes that were not vented properly.

After working in the lab, several students reported

• A metallic taste in the mouth
• Visible fumes that lingered
• Sore throat
• Other symptoms and complaints

Welding can produce noxious fumes from the metal, the coatings, residues and solvents, many of which have been linked to short-term and long-term health effects.

The university is installing new metal hoods to improve ventilation.

Source: NBC News 

Portable welding fume extractors can help protect welders

Electrocorp has designed a customizable line of welding fume extraction air cleaners with a spark arrestor, flexible arm and source capture attachment that can remove chemicals, fumes, gases, odors and particles.

The activated carbon and HEPA filtration system combines the most efficient filter media for enhanced protection against harmful fumes.

Contact Electrocorp and ask about our different models and customizable options.

Fumes and chemicals in nail salons an occupational hazard

Nail salon workers may be exposed
to dangerous chemicals and fumes.

The chemical smell wafting out of most nail salons may be familiar, but they can pose a health threat to the workers that are exposed to them every day.

A growing concern over the “toxic trio” – the chemicals toluene, dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and formaldehyde that can be found in many nail polishes and treatments – have prompted some authorities to pass new regulations regarding the health and safety of nail salon workers, but most continue to work in poorly ventilated areas with little or no protection against the fumes.

Since many nail salon workers are newly arrived immigrants less likely to complain, and many health effects may only become apparent over the long-term, the issues has been flying under the radar for some time.

However, with a growing public awareness of the danger of chemical exposure, and after the toxic trio chemicals were listed as substances that can cause cancer and birth defects, action seems overdue.

In addition, studies have shown that nail salon workers have a greater prevalence of respiratory and skin conditions as well as headaches.

What is the toxic trio?

• Toluene – a solvent found in nail glues, can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, linked to short-term memory loss and neurological problems
• DBP – a chemical used to reduce polish brittleness and cracking, is hazardous for pregnant women and has been linked with reproductive problems
• Formaldehyde – a hardener and preservative, is a known carcinogen and has been linked to asthma

Experts recommend using more natural, organic products and opting for nail treatments with the least amount of chemicals in them. Nail salon workers should have work stations that are well ventilated.

The Salon 5000 and 6000 are ideal
for nail salons and spas.

Wearing a mask will only protect from dust and tiny particles, but not from chemical fumes.

A portable air filter with activated carbon and HEPA and a source capture attachment can reduce the amount of chemicals, fumes and particles right at the source. Electrocorp offers a variety of air cleaners for beauty salons and spas.

Contact us for more information.

Source: New York Times article

 

Occupational risk: Welding in underground spaces

Underground welding operations
produce dangerous fumes.

Welding creates harmful fumes that should be vented to protect workers – but what if a person works in a difficult-to-vent spot, like a subway station or any other kind of tunnel or underground structure?

Studies have shown that the levels of pollutants generally stay below established safety limits. Still, the toxins are there, and research is lacking in terms of health effects due to long-term exposure to these toxins.

At least two studies completed in Paris and Seoul have found that toxic pollutants like manganese and chromium can be present in the ambient air of underground transport systems and pose a health risk to workers who spend a lot of time there, according to an in-depth article published by Science Line.

The effects might also be felt by vulnerable populations (i.e. asthmatics, the elderly, children and older subway workers), and it is certainly a consideration for the thousands of workers who work underground every day, including those repairing equipment, driving the trains and welding the tracks.

A New York study found that the level of pollutants in subway stations could be 100 worse than the levels measured outside. One major contaminant is steel dust with tiny metal particles.

Steel welding also creates toxic fumes like hexavalent chromium, one of the most carcinogenic substances known to man.

Source: Science Line

Use portable fume extractors in underground welding operations

The LD450 is a portable fume
extractor with flexible arm.

Electrocorp’s line of portable fume extractors removes the widest range of pollutants at the source with an industrial-strength activated carbon + HEPA filtration system and flexible source capture arm.

They adsorb gases and chemicals in a deep bed of activated carbon, using 40 to 80 pounds of this efficient filtration media. The HEPA filter and pre-filters remove 99.97% of dust particles at 0.3 microns.

The units are designed for TIG, MIG and arc welding operations and they feature a spark arrestor and custom carbon blends.

Contact Electrocorp for more information: 1.866.667.0297.

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.  

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.