Tools for Substitution

1. Tools for Substitution How to find an alternative cleaning product that will work for you – both for performance and safety

2. Selecting an Alternative • When choosing an alternative • Don’t shift the risk • From worker to environment OR • From environment to worker • Ex. Replacing flammable solvent with a ozone depleting chemical • Want to select a product that is safer for one or the other • Would be best if safer for both

3. What are Indicators at TURI’s Lab? • The lab uses five criteria for screening products • Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) • Global Warming Potential (GWPs) • Ozone Depletion Potential (ODPs) • Hazardous Material Information System/ National Fire Protection Association (HMIS/NFPA) • pH

4. How to Use the Indicators • Incorporate into the product selection process • Each product assessed using indicators • Why These Five Indicators?

5. Chemicals that evaporate easily at room temperature The term “organic” indicates that the compounds contain carbon VOC exposures are often associated with an odor while other times there is no odor Both can be harmful There are thousands of different VOCs produced and used daily Acute Eye irritation / watering Nose irritation Throat irritation Headaches Nausea / Vomiting Dizziness Asthma exacerbation Chronic Cancer Liver damage Kidney damage Central Nervous System damage Volatile Organic Compounds(VOC)

6. VOCs • Source control • Eliminate products that have high levels of VOCs • Purchase new products that contain low or no VOCs • (Environmentally Preferable Purchasing)

7. Global Warming Potential (GWPs) • GWP • Used to compare the ability of different greenhouse gases to trap heat in the atmosphere • Based on • Heat-absorbing ability of the gas relative to base chemical carbon dioxide (CO2) • Decay rate of each gas relative to CO2

8. GWPs • Some greenhouse gases occur naturally in the atmosphere • Include water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone • Others result from human activities • Very powerful greenhouse gases that are generated in a variety of industrial processes, including cleaning processes

9. Ozone Depletion Potential (ODPs) • Ozone layer screens out the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation • Small amounts of ozone are constantly being made by the action of sunlight on oxygen • At the same time, ozone is being broken down by natural processes • The total amount of ozone usually stays constant because its formation and destruction occur at about the same rate • Human activity has recently changed that natural balance

10. ODPs • The ratio of the amount of ozone depletion of a chemical compared to the amount of ozone depletion of the same mass of CFC-11 • Certain manufactured substances can destroy stratospheric ozone much faster than it is formed

11. HMIS Hazard Communication standard requires employers to evaluate materials and inform employees of the hazards Developed by comparing information on the health hazard, flammability, and physical hazard of the product to a set of criteria for each hazard category NFPA Originally developed this set of hazard rankings for their own purposes The rankings have proven to be very useful in the chemical industry Hazardous Material Information System/ National Fire Protection Association (HMIS/NFPA)

12. HMIS/NFPA Health Fire Reactivity/Instability Lab attempts to use products with a hazard less than 3 4 = Severe Hazard 3 = Serious Hazard 2 = Moderate Hazard 1 = Slight Hazard 0 = Minimal Hazard HMIS/NFPA

13. pH Readings • Provides a measure on a scale from 0 to 14 of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution • = 7 neutral • <7 acidic • >7 basic • Try to avoid • >11 very basic, likely to cause corrosion and/or tissue damage • <3 a strong acid

14. pH • Neutral substances receive the highest Individual Indicator points • Both very acidic and very basic are both avoided

15. Guidelines

16. Guidelines

17. Solvent Alkaline Aqueous Example Screening Values

18. Other Indicators • Further analysis should be conducted to verify that the selected products are compatible with your process • Determine if there are any health risks that the screening does not address

19. Aquatic Toxicity Biodegradability Carcinogens, Mutagens or Teratogens Concentration Disposal Endocrine disruptors Eutrophication Fragrances and Dyes Life Cycle Assessment Neurotoxins/CNS Depressants Packaging Recyclability Reproductive Toxicity Other Possible Indicators

20. Simple Solutions for Surface Cleaning • Having established a screening system for products in the lab • SSL has widened its selection methodology to incorporate both product performance and safety • Products are screened simultaneously yielding • List of products that have been proven to work • The products are potentially safer than the current cleaning formulation • Results of testing available through web-based tool

21. Find a Safer, Effective Alternative • Simple Solutions Database • Used to identify safer and effective products • Safety Scores • VOC, ODP, GWP, HMIS/NFPA, pH • Matching Performance • Contaminant, substrate, equipment, current solvent • www.cleanersolutions.org/SimpleSolutions

22. Simple Solutions Database • From the testing performed at SSL • Performances of industrial and institutional cleaning products • Database system was created so that access to this resource could be performed easily and quickly • The data is field-searchable by surface contaminants, surface substrates, cleaning equipment and solvents replaced

24. Search Methods • Contaminant Search • Solvent Replaced • Product/Vendor Search • Browse Clients • Browse Vendors

27. Questions? • Simple Solutions On-line Database: http://www.cleanersolutions.org/SimpleSolutions/ Contact Information Jason Marshall Manger of Laboratory Testing Surface Solutions Lab Toxics Use Reduction Institute jason@turi.org 978-934-3133