Eco-Friendly Industrial Solvents Improve Workplace Environments
An eco-friendly industrial solvent dissolves another substance or solute to form a type of solution. The contaminant removal agent may be a liquid, solid, or gas depending on their required application by a company. Liquid cleaning agents in combination with a liquid or solid solute are common and prove to be most beneficial to businesses. Eco-friendly industrial solvents are frequently used for large-scale contaminant removal processes, to perform experiments, and to accomplish general cleaning tasks. Not every type of solvent can be used to remove solutes from a surface. Certain substances prove to be more beneficial based on the type of contaminant being eliminated. The products chosen by a company greatly depend on factors such as temperature, volume, chemical properties, and the contaminant to be removed.
Solubility or the ability of a substance to dissolve another substance is based on polarity, which involves how electrons are distributed across each molecule. Chemists stick with the concept that substance must be similar for solutes to be dissolved. For the sake of simplicity, a polar solute will dissolve in a polar solvent and vice versa. The volume and temperature of both also determine solubility; however, polarity is the main contributing factor. Solvents are applied in a number of industrial settings including:
- Equipment Maintenance
- Spill Cleanup
- Refinishing Processes
- Part Creation
- Manufacturing Processes
- General Cleaning
Organic products containing carbon are harmful to handle and generate specific environmental dangers. Eco-friendly industrial solvents offer companies the chance to improve the workplace environment, reduce negative health impacts, cut costs, and “go green.”
What Health Concerns Are Eliminated with Eco-Friendly Industrial Solvents?
Prolonged exposure to harmful solvents decreases an individual’s ability to perform their tasks efficiently. The choice to use toxic products in the workplace can result in irreversible health effects such as cancer or even death depending on the amount of exposure. If an individual inhales too much, they will experience respiratory or central nervous system complications, which eventually results in detrimental diseases caused by long term exposure. Headaches, nausea, dizziness, and unconsciousness are all signs of an individual inhaling too many vapors.
Skin contact or absorption is typically a result of splashing, direct immersion, spills, or direct contact with objects. This causes a breakdown of the fats and oils used as barriers by the skin thus resulting in irritation or harm that later leads to skin diseases. A worker may ingest a solvent when it resides on their hands or food as it contacts the mouth. Eco-friendly industrial solvents are a non-toxic solution for preventing these issues and improving the workplace environment. While not suitable for every industry, most companies benefit from making the switch to eco-friendly industrial solvents. The choice results in the implementation of green practices, development of a safer working environment, and decreased costs. If your company is still using traditional products when eco-friendly industrial solvents are applicable, it is time to consider making the switch to a safer alternative.
Eco-friendly industrial solvents are necessary in a number of industries and play a pivotal safety role in the workplace. For more information about environmentally friendly, low VOC products, please call (800) 886-8240 or email info@ecolink.com.