Organic solvents. Monograph.

Number

036-EN

Section

General Section

Use

Sector

Other

Function

Other

Process

Other

Product category

washing ad cleaning products

Application

Cleaning agent for offset printers and dry cleaning

Abstract

The document describes health and environment problems caused by the use of solvents in the workplace. Alternatives like esters or wet cleaning are proposed to replace many of the applications of organic solvents.

Substituted substances

Solvents

CAS No. EC No. Index No.

Chemical group

Solvents

Alternative Substances

Esters

CAS No. EC No. Index No.

Chemical group

Esters

Reliability of information

Evidence of implementation: there is evidence that the solution was implemented and in use at time of publication

Reason substitution

physical hazards

Other type of alternative

Wet cleaning

Hazard Assessment

Substance to be substituted: Solvents Alternative substance: There is no further information about the alternatives. » Check the Substance Database according to SUBSPORTplus Screening Criteria (SDSC)

Description of Substitution

Solvents pose a serious health risk to workers who are in daily contact with these products. Organic solvents can damage reproductive, nervous and respiratory systems, can damage brain, liver and kidneys and pose a serious environmental threat as they can contribute to the formation of ozone at the troposphere and to global warming. This monograph on alternatives to solvents describes environmental and health problems posed by the use of solvents in workplaces, deficiencies encountered in the implementation of occupational and environmental risk prevention measures in companies and alternatives to organic solvents. The document describes in detail alternatives to the use of organic solvents during the cleaning of offset printers and for dry-cleaning and includes several case stories of companies implementing these alternatives.

Case/substitution evaluation

This case study contains the substitution of solvents and the use of alternatives. Since this document is so extensive, no rating can be given for this overview. Read the stored documents for more information.

Type of information supplier

Research

Type of publication and availability

Freely available

Publication source: author, company, institute, year

Washington State Department of Ecology November 1996

Publication source

Type of publication and availability

Daphnia Instituto Sindical de Trabajo, Ambiente y Salud (ISTAS) - CCOO December 1995

Date, reviewed

December 11, 2020