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Implementing Use Of Cleaning Chemicals … Safer For People And The Environment www.ENVIRO-SOLUTION.com • Resource Center • Presentations & Reports • Other Helpful Sites. OUTLINE. Did You Know? Overview Of Current Situation To Be Proven More Environmentally Sound
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Implementing Use Of Cleaning Chemicals …Safer For People And The Environment www.ENVIRO-SOLUTION.com • Resource Center • Presentations & Reports • Other Helpful Sites
OUTLINE • Did You Know? • Overview Of Current Situation • To Be Proven More Environmentally Sound • To Be Proven Safer For People • Key Criteria of Green Seal and Environmental Choice • Commonly Used Hazardous Chemicals • Cleaning Tenders/Bids – Product Guidelines • Q’s & A’s
In a recent survey of 32 facilities in Richmond California, of 250 janitorial products, the findings were: 7% should not be used as they could cause cancer or were very damaging to the environment. 56% require extreme care as the ingredients can cause blindness, severe skin damage, interfere with the endocrine system, or be absorbed through the skin or inhaled and subsequently cause damage to the blood, liver, kidneys, nervous system, or a developing fetus. 37% require routine care as they may irritate the eyes and skin, can evaporate and affect indoor air quality, or may exceed a building’s allowable sewer discharge limits for certain ingredients. DID YOU KNOW? Source – “Cleaning For Health: Products and Practices for a Safer Indoor Environment”; Alicia Culver, Senior Research Associate; INFORM, Inc.
DID YOU KNOW? HAZARDS OF CLEANERS: 7% Cause Cancer, Ozone Depletion, or Global Warning 56% Contain Ingredients that can Cause Blindness, Severe Skin Damage, or Damage to Organs Through Skin Source – “Cleaning For Health: Products and Practices for a Safer Indoor Environment”; Alicia Culver, Senior Research Associate; INFORM, Inc.
DID YOU KNOW? • A fetus may come into contact with an endocrine-disrupting chemical while still in the womb, but problems, such as birth defects, infertility and leaning disabilities may not show up until much later. Often the timing is critical. For example, sexual organs develop at day 56 of gestation. Exposure at this stage could be a factor in the later development of testicular cancer. • 2-butoxyethanol, a common ingredient in cleaning products, is a toxin suspected of causing learning disabilities in children as well as liver and kidney damage. This chemical can be absorbed directly through the skin. • The World Health Organization estimates that 80 percent of all cancers are environmentally related. Source – LEAS: www.leas.ca
DID YOU KNOW? • Health Hazards of Janitorial Cleaning Chemicals: • Janitorial workers experience relatively high injury rates, many of which are due to the toxic chemicals found in cleaning products, particularly floor and carpet maintenance products, disinfectants and specialty cleaners. • These chemicals can cause headaches, asthma, burns, permanent eye damage, major organ damage and even cancer. • There are 100,000 commercial chemicals in use in North America – perhaps 500 or less than 1,000 have ever really been studied. Source - “Cleaning For Health: Products and Practices for a Safer Indoor Environment”; Alicia Culver, Senior Research Associate; INFORM, Inc. - Dr. Bruce Fowler, University of Maryland.
DID YOU KNOW? • Health Hazards of Janitorial Cleaning Chemicals: • 6 out of every 100 janitors are injured on the job, at an average cost of $725 in medical and lost time per reported injury. • 40 percent of these injuries involve eye irritations or burns. • 36 percent of these injuries involve skin irritations or burns. • 20 percent of these injuries are severe chemical burns to the eyes and skin. • 12 percent of these injuries involve breathing chemical fumes. • Some disinfectants (e.g. “quats”) can cause occupational asthma. Source – “Cleaning For Health: Products and Practices for a Safer Indoor Environment”; Alicia Culver, Senior Research Associate; INFORM, Inc.
DID YOU KNOW? • Health Hazards of Janitorial Cleaning Chemicals: • 127 janitors died in the US between 1993 and 2001 as a result of the cleaning products they were using. • A health care worker complained of respiratory irritation from using a bathtub cleaner and disinfectant in the course of her work in a British Columbia health care institution. Despite her symptoms, she continued to do the work as directed by her employer. One day, after she had completed her shift, she went home, feeling ill. She later collapsed and died. Her union took the case to the Workers’ Compensation Board and did extensive research on the ingredients in the cleaning solutions. It was found that she had been exposed to excessive levels of “quats”, which were probably the cause of her death. • The numbers are growing for human health and environmental hazards linked with traditional cleaning products. Source – “US Bureau of Labour Statistics”. Leas: www.leas.ca
That poor quality indoor air can produce health effects in occupants ranging from headaches and dry eyes to nausea, dizziness and fatigue. These health effects contribute to increased absenteeism/sick days, low moral and decreased worker productivity. A study of school districts in the greater Washington, D.C. area found that there was a direct correlation between Indoor Air Quality and both attendance and performance of their students. DID YOU KNOW? Source – “Cleaning For Health: Products and Practices for a Safer Indoor Environment”; Alicia Culver, Senior Research Associate; INFORM, Inc.
Indoor air quality is ranked among the nation’s top 5 environmental risks. IAQ can be 2 to 100 times as worse than the outdoors. The World Health Organization estimates that 30% of all buildings experience IAQ problems. Improving IAQ can improve worker production by 0.5 to 5 percent, an annual production given of $30 billion to $150 billion annually. DID YOU KNOW? Source – “Cleaning For Health: Products and Practices for a Safer Indoor Environment”; Alicia Culver, Senior Research Associate; INFORM, Inc.
DID YOU KNOW? • Improved cleaning methods and safer cleaning chemicals can very positively affect indoor air quality, worker health, and the environment. • Clearly, eliminating the toxic ingredients from cleaning products would bring tremendous benefits to society – in reduced occupational diseases and cancer, and cleaner air and water (LEAS). • The main reason for going “green” is for the health of yourself, your staff, the people who work in your buildings and the visitors to your facilities. In addition, you should go “green” for the environment – air, water and land. NOTE: LEAS = Labour Environmental Alliance Society : www.leas.ca
DID YOU KNOW? Equity Environment Promotes people health & safety Products overall burden and impact on the environment is minimized Economics Encourage true product innovation and differentiation
DID YOU KNOW? Source – The Natural Step. See Http://www.naturalstep.org (as mentioned in:“Sustainability, Green Chemistry and the Unified Green Cleaning Alliance : ISSA Legislative and Regulatory Forum”; Dr. Lauren Heine; Zero Waste Alliance).
DID YOU KNOW? WOW – Did You Know?
DID YOU KNOW? It is a fact: traditional cleaning, floor care, carpet care, washroom care and odour control products are hazardous to people and the environment. While the degree of hazard varies, the fact of the matter is that by going green, you can very quickly, easily and profoundly make a difference with out impacting performance as well as labour and product cost. The key is to understand what green is; what are the variables, considerations, and criteria of green; and how to know a product is green given all the misinformation and “spin” being disseminated by many manufacturers, both large and small.
OVERVIEW OF CURRENT SITUATION • “Green & safer” claims and products have been around for approximately 10 years. • Until recently, not grown in significant use. • Why?
OVERVIEW OF CURRENT SITUATION NOT GROWN FOR VARIOUS REASONS: • Poor product performance • Price premium • Unclear standards/Lack of consistent standards • Unproven Claims/Mis-information/False Claims • Complacency and resistance to change • Lack of understanding by cleaning professionals • Lack of acceptance by the major manufacturers of cleaning chemicals
OVERVIEW OF CURRENT SITUATION RECENTLY, GREATER ACTIVITY:
TO BE PROVEN MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND • What are the key criteria to review/consider in order to have safer products for the environment?
TO BE PROVEN MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND BIODEGRADABILITY: • It is the decomposition of organic substances into carbon dioxide, water and other harmless substances. • Must state: • Definition/Standard used • At use dilution under load and simulated real life situations • OECD 301-D is one of the highest standards. • BOD over COD being 60% or greater in a 10 day window over a 28 day limit. NOTE: BOD Biochemical Oxygen Demand is the oxygen consumed by the microorganism in the test. COD Chemical Oxygen Demand also known as the Theoretical Oxygen Demand (TOD) is the theoretical oxygen demand to completely mineralize thechemical.
TO BE PROVEN MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND DOSAGE LEVELS: • Must be at least equal to standard products.
TO BE PROVEN MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND AQUATIC TOXICITY: • Must meet or exceed acute toxicity at standard use dilution for: • Fish • Daphnia magna • Algae
TO BE PROVEN MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND TESTS/CLAIMS: • Conducted and/or verified by 3rd Party, Independent, Recognized Labs. • Should be both: • Ingredients • Whole Formulation
TO BE PROVEN MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND SURFACTANTS: • Must be carefully selected so as to have the least negative effect on the environment – biodegrade readily to components with low toxicity. • For example: Use - Linear Alcohol Ethoxylates - Linear Alkyl Sulfonates Do Not Use - NPE - APE - OPE - LAS - DBSA
TO BE PROVEN MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND • BUILDERS: • Must be carefully selected to biodegrade readily to compounds with low environmental • concerns and mild pH. • For example: • Use - Sodium Citrate • - Silicates • - Zeolites • - Maleic Anhydride Derivatives (iminodisuccinate and polyaspartic acid) • Do Not Use - Inorganic phosphates • - Caustics (sodium metasilicate) • - NTA • - EDTA • - MEA
TO BE PROVEN MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND • SOLVENTS: • Must be carefully selected to be low in toxicity to the environment and to humans. • For example: • Use - Propylene Glycol Ethers • - Methyl Soyate • - Ethyle Lactate • Do Not Use - Ethylene Glycol • - Butyl Cellusolve • - D’Limonene
TO BE PROVEN MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND HAZARDOUS INGREDIENTS: • Must not contain carcinogens, mutagens or teratogens. • No cleaning product to contain ingredients found on the following lists: • US Department of Health’s “Hazardous Substances Fact Sheet” • SARA – 313 40 CFR 372 (Toxic Chemicals) • CERCLA – 102 40 CFR 302 (Hazardous Substances) • RCRA – CFR 261 D (Hazardous Air Pollutants) • Clean Water Act – 313 40 CFR 63 (Hazardous Water Pollutants) • National Pollutant Release Inventory (Canadian List)
TO BE PROVEN MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND • LD50’S & LC50’S: • Compare the LD50’s & LC50’s. The higher the number, the better. NOTE: LC50 Measures the acute Poisoning strength of a chemical when it is swallowed or rubbed on the skin. LD stands for the “Lethal Dose”. LD50 is the dose of a chemical (product) at mg/kg on a single occasion, which causes death in 50% of the test group. LC50 Measures the acute poisoning strength of a chemical when it is breathed in from the air. LC stands for “Lethal Concentration.” LC50 is the amount of a chemical (product) at mg/l concentration in the air, which causes death in 50% of the test group.
TO BE PROVEN MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND OZONE DEPLETING INGREDIENTS: • Must not contain these NATURAL RENEWABLE RESOURCES: • Whenever possible, only naturally-based, renewable ingredients – such as grains, corn oils, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, sugar cane juices, glucoses, and corn & soy based esters replacing petroleum based solvents should be used. PACKAGING: • Subject to availability, bottles/jugs/pails should contain post/pre consumer regrind; labels using vegetable inks or printed on plastic, removable sleeves; cartons made from pre/post recycled cardboard. CONCENTRATES: • Where possible, concentrates should be used to reduce packaging, transportation and at-use costs.
TO BE PROVEN MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND ENDORCEMENTS: • Eco-Logo/Environmental Choice (Canada) - www.terrachoice.com • Green Seal (U.S.A.) - www.greenseal.org • NOTE: Certifies products, not companies, and provides a list of certified products on their website.
TO BE PROVEN MORE SAFER FOR PEOPLE • What are the key criteria to review/consider in order to have safer products for people (users, occupants and visitors).
TO BE PROVEN MORE SAFER FOR PEOPLE PRODUCTS NEED TO BE SAFE FOR: • The user • The workplace environment • Obligation to employees, consumers, patrons and visitors • Limiting liability • Reduce absenteeism caused by illness related to work • Reduce costs related to accidents, workers safety and compensation Products that are safer for the environment are safer for people.
TO BE PROVEN MORE SAFER FOR PEOPLE HAZARDOUS INGREDIENTS: • No cleaning product to contain ingredients found on the following lists: • US Department of Health’s “Hazardous Substances Fact Sheet” • SARA – 313 40 CFR 372 (Toxic Chemicals) • CERCLA – 102 40 CFR 302 (Hazardous Substances) • RCRA – CFR 261 D (Hazardous Air Pollutants) • Clean Water Act – 313 40 CFR 63 Hazardous Water Pollutants) • National Pollutant Release Inventory Canadian List) • Must not contain carcinogens, mutagens or teratogens.
TO BE PROVEN MORE SAFER FOR PEOPLE TOXICITY: • Must be considered essentially non-toxic (acute oral/dermal) according to WHIMIS and OSHA.
TO BE PROVEN MORE SAFER FOR PEOPLE NOTE:: Greater the LD50 & LC50, the less toxic the product
TO BE PROVEN MORE SAFER FOR PEOPLE • SUBSTANCE OF SPECIAL CONCERN • Item Substance of Concern Concentration Sub-Category • Carbon tetrachloride any concentration Very toxic • Diethylene glycol 5% or more Harmful • Ethyl acetate 5% or more Harmful • Ethylene glycol (a) 5% or more but less than 10% Harmful • (b)10% or more Toxic • Hydrocyanic acid or a any concentration Very toxic • hydrocyanate salt • Methyl alcohol 1% or more and a total quantity of 5 mL or more Toxic • Nitrovenzene 5 mg/kg or more Very toxic • 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane any concentration Very toxic • 1,2-dichloroethane (a) 5%or more but less than 10% Harmful • (b) 10% or more Toxic • 1,1,1-trichloroethane 5% or more Harmful • ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ • *These substances are of special concern because standard animal tests may not reflect the actual hazard posed • by these substances to humans.
TO BE PROVEN MORE SAFER FOR PEOPLE NPE’s/APE’s; BLEACH: • Must not contain these: IRRIATIONS: • Not to cause serious skin irritations, respiratory problems, or damage to nasal membranes NON FLAMMABLE & NON CORROSIVE: • Must be considered non-flammable and non-corrosive at use dilutions
TO BE PROVEN MORE SAFER FOR PEOPLE VOC’s: • Must meet California standards. LOW FRAGRANCE LEVELS: • Should be low fragrance levels subject to ease of use and safety, product performance, price, and the other considerations. • No scent is not necessarily safer.
TO BE PROVEN MORE SAFER FOR PEOPLE FLASH POINT: • Should be greater than 65°C (150°F). MSDS’s: • Should be Full/All Ingredients disclosure. Not the 1% rule. • 16 part format – Not 9 • Ecological Information (Biodegradability & Aquatic Toxicity) • Environment Regulation Information • Individual Ingredients, as well as Total Formula LD50 information
KEY CRITERIA OF GREEN SEAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHOICE PROGRAMS • WOW – Unless you have a lot of time and expertise, how can you really be sure what you are using is relatively safe? • USE – Green Seal and/or Environmental Choice Certified Products, where available. Then you know that someone objectively tested the products and ingredients to a “green” criteria. Where there are no criteria, use the information in the previous sections, as well as the next sections, to compare products. • “Green” is a moving target. It is a journey not a destination.
KEY CRITERIA OF GREEN SEAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHOICE PROGRAMS December 20, 2002 Dell Tech Laboratories is a regulatory consulting firm that has been providing guidance to manufacturers and users of chemical products for over 22 years, with a focus on regulatory compliance, product safety and government registrations. Our services include product assessments, reviews and classification of products under the Hazardous Product Act, both for consumer and industrial workplace regulations. We are a Canadian General Standards Board certified testing laboratory under the requirements of ISO Guide 25. Our clients include small and medium size manufacturers in Canada and the United States as well as large multinational companies. With greater environmental concerns in today's world, many different standards and criteria have been developed. Green Seal Inc. and the Environmental Choice Program have issued two of the more popular standards. We have compared the Green Seal Industrial and Institutional Cleaners standard GS-37 to the Environmental Choice Industrial and Commercial Cleaners standard ECP-57 below:
In my expert opinion, GS 37 and ECP 57 are very similar with no material overall differences/impact regarding safety or protection for the environment. John Ott Dell Tech Laboratories Ltd. Senior Business Development Manager Jott@delltech.com (519) 858-5021 ext. 22040