The U.S. Department of Health’s National Toxicology Program (NTP) identifies nPB as a solvent that is “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen” — a finding based on laboratory experiments that expose mice to nBP and measure the results on the physiology of the animals.
Experiential data gathered from work environments where nPB is used shows that nPB can cause health risks in addition to potentially causing cancer, such as minor effects that consist of respiratory distress, blurred vision, and upset stomach, among others; and chronic health conditions, such as central nervous system damage, blurred vision, and vertigo.
When these effects occur, they do more than harm workers. They also precipitate various negative effects for that correlate with negative health outcomes in workers who are exposed to nPB. To prove the point, let’s look at some of the most common examples of how negative health outcomes for workers can cause negative financial situations for their employers.
1. Decreased Productivity
The minor side effects of nPB use may not be enough to keep workers from clocking out early for the day, but the continuance of the effects can lead to productivity lags, as ailments such as respiratory distress, blurred vision, and upset stomach compromise workers’ ability to focus on business-critical tasks. The goal of productivity is to best serve customers and, by extension, increase the bottomline — two tasks that are hard to achieve when workers become sick.
2. Increased Sick Days
Most dedicated workers try to muscle their way through minor ailments caused by nBP, but the effects can build in intensity day after day, until workers are practically forced to take sick days to break the nPB exposure cycle. N propyl bromide carcinogen status typically lacks a role in these temporary ailments, but they can have the same effect as carcinogenic ailments in terms of productivity: removing employees from the work floor for days at a time, until they experience better health.
3. Workers Comp Claims
If a worker receives a serious injury due to intermittent or chronic use of nPB — especially an injury from which they can’t recover quickly — they often file workers comp claims, if for no other reason than to receive paid medical treatment and a moderate level of income replacement that helps them weather the financial consequences of being out of work. The cost of paying workers comp claims ranges from minor to significant, depending on compensation factors.
4. Chemical Injury Suits
When workers contract chronic health conditions due to repeated nPB exposure, some of them decide to file chemical injury lawsuits that are both expensive to take to court and settle with a financial award. Chemical injury lawsuits that stem from n propyl bromide carcinogen exposure can be awarded millions of dollars, which can spell tragedy for a company’s annual bottom line.
Need a Replacement for nPB?
If so, Ecolink can provide a range of eco friendly solutions that are formulated to deliver the same efficacy — if not more — than hazardous, older solvents that they are designed to replace. Whether you need a stock solution that eliminates n propyl bromide carcinogen exposure or a custom solution that does the same but is tailored to your unique operating requirements, we’ll provide the assistance you need to identify and implement the best solution for your needs.
To get started on the nPB replacement process, please call us today at (800) 563-1305, or use the contact form on our website. We looking forward to helping you protect your company and workers by helping to eliminate n propyl bromide carcinogen effects and similar threats.
n Propyl Bromide Carcinogen: Dangers for Workers and Their Companies
/in N-Propyl Bromide/by Industrial DegreasersThe U.S. Department of Health’s National Toxicology Program (NTP) identifies nPB as a solvent that is “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen” — a finding based on laboratory experiments that expose mice to nBP and measure the results on the physiology of the animals.
Experiential data gathered from work environments where nPB is used shows that nPB can cause health risks in addition to potentially causing cancer, such as minor effects that consist of respiratory distress, blurred vision, and upset stomach, among others; and chronic health conditions, such as central nervous system damage, blurred vision, and vertigo.
When these effects occur, they do more than harm workers. They also precipitate various negative effects for that correlate with negative health outcomes in workers who are exposed to nPB. To prove the point, let’s look at some of the most common examples of how negative health outcomes for workers can cause negative financial situations for their employers.
1. Decreased Productivity
The minor side effects of nPB use may not be enough to keep workers from clocking out early for the day, but the continuance of the effects can lead to productivity lags, as ailments such as respiratory distress, blurred vision, and upset stomach compromise workers’ ability to focus on business-critical tasks. The goal of productivity is to best serve customers and, by extension, increase the bottomline — two tasks that are hard to achieve when workers become sick.
2. Increased Sick Days
Most dedicated workers try to muscle their way through minor ailments caused by nBP, but the effects can build in intensity day after day, until workers are practically forced to take sick days to break the nPB exposure cycle. N propyl bromide carcinogen status typically lacks a role in these temporary ailments, but they can have the same effect as carcinogenic ailments in terms of productivity: removing employees from the work floor for days at a time, until they experience better health.
3. Workers Comp Claims
If a worker receives a serious injury due to intermittent or chronic use of nPB — especially an injury from which they can’t recover quickly — they often file workers comp claims, if for no other reason than to receive paid medical treatment and a moderate level of income replacement that helps them weather the financial consequences of being out of work. The cost of paying workers comp claims ranges from minor to significant, depending on compensation factors.
4. Chemical Injury Suits
When workers contract chronic health conditions due to repeated nPB exposure, some of them decide to file chemical injury lawsuits that are both expensive to take to court and settle with a financial award. Chemical injury lawsuits that stem from n propyl bromide carcinogen exposure can be awarded millions of dollars, which can spell tragedy for a company’s annual bottom line.
Need a Replacement for nPB?
If so, Ecolink can provide a range of eco friendly solutions that are formulated to deliver the same efficacy — if not more — than hazardous, older solvents that they are designed to replace. Whether you need a stock solution that eliminates n propyl bromide carcinogen exposure or a custom solution that does the same but is tailored to your unique operating requirements, we’ll provide the assistance you need to identify and implement the best solution for your needs.
To get started on the nPB replacement process, please call us today at (800) 563-1305, or use the contact form on our website. We looking forward to helping you protect your company and workers by helping to eliminate n propyl bromide carcinogen effects and similar threats.
Solvent Recovery is the Answer to Cutting Costs
/in Chemical waste, Zero Waste/by Industrial DegreasersIn today’s world, many laboratories and industrial settings utilize costly solvents in daily operations and dispose of them shortly after. This practice of not recycling used solvents is not cost effective. To combat this practice, CBG Technologies developed a wide array of solvent distillers that heat liquid waste and then separate, purify and cool the resulting vapors into a highly pure solvent for reuse. Solvent distillation is an essential part of many of today’s industries since it allows them to decrease spending by reducing solvent consumption, reducing waste disposal, and reducing storage space needed for new and used solvents. Without solvent distillation equipment, there would be no process to recycle solvents, and as a result, customers would have increased levels of waste generation that create higher costs.
Utilization of distillation equipment enables labs to:
• Obtain higher quality solvents
• Reduce solvent consumption
• Reduce liability concerning storage and waste disposal
• Maintain lower levels of waste generation
• Comply with government regulations and guidelines concerning waste disposal
Types of Solvent Recycling Equipment
In order to meet the demand of various laboratory sizes and conditions, CBG Technologies has developed various sizes of distilling apparatuses over the past twenty years, which can meet the desired spatial needs of each customer. The models for laboratories include benchtop and portable floor models, which can be further customized with the use of CBG Tech accessories. Moreover, CBG Tech provides simple and fractional distillers, which can be customized, for various industrial applications.
Laboratory applications of distillation equipment:
• Achieving a high purity of recycled solvent – usually in excess of 99%
• Recycling diluted alcohols to a high concentration approaching 95%
• Attaining a high recovery of the contaminated solvent – typically around 95%
Industrial applications of solvent recovery:
• Electroplating
• Parts washing
• Vapor degreasing
• Paints/coating
• General cleaning
Standard options of industrial distillers:
• Manually-Operated Fill Pump
• Auto-fill and Continuous Operation
• Construction to Class 1 Division 1 Standards
• Solvent/Water Separator
• Vacuum Assist
• Rapid Tank Cool-Down Module
Safety and Compliance
Each model is compliant with the most current government and regulatory standards and specifications to ensure that work environments stay safe. Furthermore, CGB Tech delivers excellent customer service and technical guidance that ensures customers are able to integrate distillers into their processes. In addition to supplying distillers, CBG Tech provides service options designed to help customers after the purchase of an apparatus.
Service options include:
• Total Replacement Policies
• Onsite Preventative Maintenance
• GC Testing
• Retraining of staff
With the benefits of using solvent distillation equipment, many laboratories, such as chemistry and pathology labs, are able to be environmentally friendly while being mindful of operating costs.
Contact CBG Technologies today to reclaim used solvents and reduce costs!
The Health Dangers of Using nPB Vapor Degreaser
/in Ecolink News/by Industrial DegreasersOver the past 20 years, nPB (a.k.a. n-propyl bromide and 1-bromopropane) has become a go-to solvent in numerous industries, from dry cleaning, to furniture construction, to asphalt production. During roughly the same time period, OSHA and the EPA have steadily studied the health dangers of the solvent based on scientific investigation.
What emerges is a portrait of an nPB vapor degreaser that can produce both acute and long-term negative health effects in those who use it. These effects are the primary reason why many organizations move to replace an nPB vapor degreaser with one that has a safer profile.
Acute Health Effects of nPB Exposure
The most talked health effects of nPB exposure are chronic effects, as these represent the greatest threat to the health of the user. But short-term use of nPB can also produce negative health effects, which are acute in nature, particularly:
The effects often cease when exposure to nPB ceases, although studies have shown it can take some workers over one year to fully recover. In such cases, exposure has typically occurred over the course of weeks or months and not during a one-time use of the solvent. However, even a single exposure to nPB can be enough to take a worker off of the work floor for a day. By harming workers’ health, nPB can hurt their company’s productivity.
Long-Term Health Effects of nPB Exposure
Workers who are exposed to nPB vapor degreaser over the course of many months or years can develop long-term, negative health effects that result in permanent disability. Four of the most noted chronic health conditions that are caused by consistent nPB exposure are:
Over the years, chronic conditions such as these have formed the backbone of numerous chemical injury lawsuits that workers pursue against their employers on the basis on nPB exposure. As with acute health effects of nPB vapor degreaser exposure, long-term effects don’t just harm workers. They can have a profound, negative impact on a company’s bottom line.
Replacement is the Optimal Solution
There are several ways to reduce exposure to nPB vapor degreaser, such as using a special air filtration system in the environment where nPB is used, outfitting workers with a high level of personal protective equipment (PPE), and using a vapor degreasing system that produces to no emissions in the work environment. However, the most cost effective, hassle-free option for eliminating health threats of nPB is to replace the solvent with a safer one.
This is what Ecolink can help you do. We offer a broad selection degreasing solvents that are safer than many of their predecessors, yet still deliver the same efficacy. To get started on receiving an nPB vapor degreaser drop-in solution, call us today at (800) 563-1305, or contact us here on our website. We look forward to helping you protect your workers’ health.
Buying Commercial Degreasers: Tips For Refining Product Selection
/in Degreasing Agents/by Industrial DegreasersDegreaser is one of the most widely used categories of commercial solvents. That’s why there are literally thousands of degreaser solutions you could buy. While having a wide range of options is never a bad thing when it comes to solvent selection, all of the choices eventually have to be narrowed down to one. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some helpful criteria that your company or organization can use to narrow the search for commercial degreasers.
Solvent Grade
Degreasers tend be formulated with three types of end users in mind: industrial users, commercial users, and residential users. Because commercial degreasers tend to deliver more cleaning power by volume than residential grade degreasers that are used in the home, make sure that your search only focuses on commercial grade degreasing solutions.
Degreasing Application
If you need a degreaser for a specific type of degreasing operation, such as degreasing energized motors, this can also help you refine your choice. For example, for cleaning an energized motor, you would ideally want a degreaser that is non-flammable (i.e., no flashpoint), has a dielectric formulation, evaporates quickly, and leaves behind no residue.
VOC Content
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may be “organic”, but this doesn’t mean that they’re safe to use in large quantities. Commercial degreasers that have high VOC content can cause short-term and chronic health problems due to incidental and prolonged exposure, respectively. Avoiding high VOC content helps workers stay healthy, and thus supports business productivity.
EPA Measures
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to regulate the large-scale use of hazardous chemicals, announcing upcoming regulations well in advance, so companies and organizations have time to phase out dangerous chemicals. If a degreaser contains a chemical that’s slated to be regulated by the EPA, be sure to remove it from your list of solvent options.
Container Options
In what types of containers do you need a commercial degreasers: aerosol, hand wipes, spray bottles, etc.? In addition, what size of container do you need (aerosol bottles or large, aerosol cylinders, for example)? If a supplier doesn’t offer commercial degreasers in the types of containers you need, it provides another way to narrow your options and choose the best.
Custom Formulation
If after days of searching online for readymade commercial degreasers, you simply can’t find a solution that meets all of your requirements, you may be in the market for custom formulated degreasers. Unlike readymade solvents that are formulated to meet a wide variety of solvent needs, custom blended solvents are designed to meet the specific needs of a single customer.
Shopping For Commercial Degreasers?
Whether you need an eco friendly commercial degreaser for general cleaning applications, specific degreasing operations, or both, Ecolink can supply the solution you need, and provide it in a formulation that minimizes negative impact to your workers and the environment. For assistance selecting the right commercial degreaser for your cleaning requirements and safety needs, please call us today at (800) 563-1305, or fill out the contact form on our website.
AK225 Flushing Fluid Replacement: Two Options From Ecolink
/in AK225/by Industrial DegreasersAK225 flushing fluid (a.k.a. Asahiklin) enjoyed a long run as a go-to solvent for companies that perform routine degreasing and general cleaning of parts, surfaces, and materials. However, the solution’s ozone depleting properties rightly placed it on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) list of solvents that are banned or regulated. AK225 was primarily produced in Japan and has been banned from importation or production in the U.S. since the beginning of 2015.
AK225 Replacement Process: Two Options
As it would normally do, the EPA made AK225 flushing fluid users aware of the solvent’s impending ban before the ban was active. Some companies completed the phase out process in 2014, well before the date of the solution’s ban. The question is whether they implemented a seamless replacement for AK225 flushing fluid or have made do with a similar solution whose efficacy at removing soils doesn’t conform to the strength of the AK225 solvent it replaced.
If your company or organization is in this position, we recommend considering the following two options for finding a final, suitable replacement for AK225 flushing fluid: Implement Fluosolv CX solvent, which can be purchased directly from our online store, or have our team of experienced chemists create a custom solvent that perfectly conforms to your cleaning processes. Let’s take a look at each option.
FluoSolv CX Solvent
Fluosolv CX has the same efficacy as AK225 and possesses several additional advantages, as well, including: an acceptable exposure limit that is nearly double the limit for AK225, no required equipment modifications (e.g. changes to parts washing systems) are necessary for using FluoSolv CX as an AK225 replacement, and FluoSolv CX dries faster than AK225, making the latter a better option for vapor degreasing and aerosol cold cleaning applications.
Moreover, FluoSolv CX is widely viewed as the number one replacement solvent for AK225.
Customized Solvent
Most users should be able to implement FluoSolv CX as a drop-in solution for any ineffective AK225 replacement solution they currently use. However, there are inevitably outfits that need the formulation of FluoSolv CX tweaked to meet unique chemical cleaning requirements. In this situation, we recommend letting our team of chemists create the needed solution.
Once your custom solution is complete, we’ll even send you a free test sample, so you can be certain that the solution works as expected. From there, we can supply your custom solvent on a scheduled basis, or as the need for the cleaner arises. Choose the supply scenario best meets your requirements.
Contact Us Today
As new, green, industrial cleaning solutions continue to become available, industrial cleaning solvents that damage the ozone and pose other critical problems should eventually be eliminated. In the meantime, Ecolink is here to provide environmentally preferred stock solvents and custom solvents that deliver the same cleaning power of the solvents they replace.
To get started on implementing the best replacement for AK225 flushing fluid or one of its replacements simply that isn’t the best, please call us today at (800) 563-1305, or use the contact form on our website. We look forward to providing you with a safer, powerful solvent.