ARLINGTON, Va. — The Halogenated Solvents Industry Alliance (HSIA) filed a petition last week with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to list n-Propyl Bromide (nPB), a brominated hydrocarbon, as a hazardous air pollutant under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act. Such a listing would result in regulation of significant sources of nPB emissions.
The HSIA petition can be found on the organization’s website. It addresses uses of and exposures to nPB, and cites scientific studies supporting HSIA’s concerns. According to the filing, serious health effects, including cancer and reproductive and neurological effects, were observed in animals and workers exposed to nPB.
In the early- to mid-1990s, nPB was used in well-controlled processes as an intermediate in the production of chemicals, HSIA says. Thereafter, it was introduced into emissive applications such as aerosols, adhesives, vapor-degreasing operations and the cleaning of electronics and metals. As a result of these expanded uses, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) nominated nPB for further study in the National Toxicology Program (NTP), HSIA says.
In a recent AmericanDrycleaner.com survey, 2% of respondents reported using nPB-based DrySolv, with another 4% planning to adopt its use.
For more information on n-Propyl Bromide and other solvents and regulations relating to the drycleaning industry, please see Freedom of Choice and Industry Continues Fight for Perc in Philadelphia on AmericanDrycleaner.com.
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