Alternative Textile Cleaning Processes Alternative Textile Cleaning Processes and Spotting Chemicals: and Spotting Chemicals: gg

Will They Really Be Safer?Will They Really Be Safer?

Katy Wolf, Ph.D.yInstitute for Research and

Technical Assistance

INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH AND INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH AND S U O S CS U O S CTECHNICAL ASSISTANCETECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION ESTABLISHED IN 1989• NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION ESTABLISHED IN 1989

• ASSISTS COMPANIES, WHOLE INDUSTRIES IN ADOPTING

SAFER ALTERNATIVES

– EMPHASIS ON SOLVENT ALTERNATIVES

• IDENTIFIES, DEVELOPS, TESTS, DEMONSTRATES

ALTERNATIVES

• EXPERIENCE IN CLEANING , DRY CLEANING, PAINT

STRIPPING, COATINGS AND ADHESIVES

BACKGROUNDBACKGROUNDBACKGROUNDBACKGROUND

• 5,000 TEXTILE CLEANERS IN CALIFORNIA

• ROUGHLY TWO-THIRDS OF CLEANERS USE PERCHLOROETHYLENE (PERC)

– ONE-THIRD HAVE CONVERTED TO ALTERNATIVES

• PERC IS A CARCINOGEN

– LISTED ON PROP 65

– ON HAP AND TAC LISTS

LISTED RCRA WASTE– LISTED RCRA WASTE

• MANY CLEANERS USE POG SPOTTING CHEMICALS

– PERC OR TCEPERC OR TCE

BACKGROUND CONT’DBACKGROUND CONT’DBACKGROUND CONT DBACKGROUND CONT D

• TCE, LIKE PERC, IS A CARCINOGEN• REGULATIONS, TRENDS AFFECTING PERC USE IN DRY

CLEANING– SCAQMD REGULATION BANS PERC USE IN DRY CLEANING INSCAQMD REGULATION BANS PERC USE IN DRY CLEANING IN

2020– CARB REGULATION BANS PERC USE IN 2023

LANDLORDS GENERALLY WILL NOT RENEW LEASE FOR– LANDLORDS GENERALLY WILL NOT RENEW LEASE FOR PERC CLEANERS

• REGULATIONS AFFECTING PERC, TCE USE IN SPOTTING CHEMICALS– NONE YET, BUT SOME ARE LIKELY

PERC DRY CLEANING PROCESSPERC DRY CLEANING PROCESSPERC DRY CLEANING PROCESSPERC DRY CLEANING PROCESS

• PERC HAS NO FLASH POINT AND IT HAS A BOILING POINT OF 250 DEGREES FOF 250 DEGREES F

• PERC IS AGGRESSIVE ON SOILS AND MAY DAMAGE DELICATE ITEMS

• PERC DRY CLEANING PROCESS– PERC, DETERGENT, WATER– GARMENTS ARE OFTEN SPOTTED TO REMOVE STAINSGARMENTS ARE OFTEN SPOTTED TO REMOVE STAINS– GARMENTS WEIGHED AND PUT INTO MACHINE WHEEL– WASH STEP, EXTRACTION STEP AND DRY STEP

TYPICAL CYCLE IS 45 MINUTES– TYPICAL CYCLE IS 45 MINUTES– GARMENTS REMOVED, ARE SOMETIMES POST-SPOTTED AND

FINISHED

Typical PERCTypical PERC Machine

PERC DRY CLEANING PERC DRY CLEANING PROCESS CONT’DPROCESS CONT’D

• PERC MACHINES ARE DRY-TO-DRY CLOSED LOOP• PERC MACHINES ARE DRY-TO-DRY CLOSED LOOP– CONTAIN AN INTERNAL REFRIGERATED CONDENSER

– USE DISTILLATION AND FILTRATION

• EMISSIONS OCCUR FROM– LEAKS IN THE EQUIPMENT

– PERC IN DRUM AFTER CYCLE

• WASTE STREAMSSTILL BOTTOMS– STILL BOTTOMS

– SPENT FILTERS OR SLUDGE

– SEPARATOR WATER

FOCUS OF DISCUSSIONFOCUS OF DISCUSSIONFOCUS OF DISCUSSIONFOCUS OF DISCUSSION

• IRTA PROJECTS

– CARB/EPA PROJECT ON PERC DRY CLEANING ALTERNATIVES

– DTSC PROJECT ON HYDROCARBON ALTERNATIVE

– DTSC/EPA PROJECT ON SPOTTING CHEMICAL ALTERNATIVES

• ALTERNATIVES TO PERC IN DRY CLEANING

• ALTERNATIVES TO PERC, TCE SPOTTING CHEMICALS

ALTERNATIVES TO ALTERNATIVES TO PERC DRY CLEANINGPERC DRY CLEANING

• HYDROCARBON• PURE DRY• GREEN EARTH • GLYCOL ETHER• GLYCOL ETHER• TRADITIONAL WET CLEANING• ICY WATER• GREEN JET• CARBON DIOXIDE• OTHER

– n-PROPYL BROMIDESOLVAIR– SOLVAIR

HYDROCARBONHYDROCARBONHYDROCARBONHYDROCARBON• HYDROCARBON SOLD BY THREE MANUFACTURERS

– MOST WIDELY USED ALTERNATIVEOS US– SYNTHETIC ISOPARAFFIN– SOLVENT IS VOC BUT PROBABLY NOT HIGH IN TOXICITY

HIGHER FLASH POINT (>140 DEGREES F) THAN TRADITIONAL– HIGHER FLASH POINT (>140 DEGREES F) THAN TRADITIONAL PETROLEUM SOLVENTS

– CLASS III A SOLVENT SO MACHINES GENERALLY HAVE NITROGENNITROGEN

– BETTER “HAND” THAN PERC– DISTILLATION PERFORMED IN VACUUM

LONGER CYCLE TIME THAN PERC– LONGER CYCLE TIME THAN PERC– BACTERIA GROWTH

Hydrocarbon yMachine

HYDROCARBON CONT’DHYDROCARBON CONT’DHYDROCARBON CONT DHYDROCARBON CONT D

MANY CLEANERS USE TONSIL WITH HYDROCARBON• MANY CLEANERS USE TONSIL WITH HYDROCARBON

– TONSIL IS ABSORBENT

– BLEEDING, DISTILLATION, DETERGENT, BACTERIA

Hydrocarbon TonsilHydrocarbon Tonsil Machine

PURE DRYPURE DRYPURE DRYPURE DRY

• VARIATION OF HYDROCARBON• VARIATION OF HYDROCARBON

• USES ADDITIVES

– PFC

– HFC

– REQUIRES SPECIFIC EQUIPMENT

GREEN EARTHGREEN EARTHGREEN EARTHGREEN EARTH

• DECAMETHYLCYCLOPENTASILOXANEDECAMETHYLCYCLOPENTASILOXANE

– VMS CALLED D5

– HIGHER FLASH POINT THAN HYDROCARBON

• LESS AGGRESSIVE CLEANER THAN PERC

– BETTER HAND THAN PERC

• CYCLE TIME LONGER THAN PERC AND HYDROCARBON

• D5 NOT CLASSIFIED AS A VOC

• D5 CAUSED CANCER IN LABORATORY ANIMALS

– OEHHA INDICATED MECHANISM NOT VIABLE

GLYCOL ETHERGLYCOL ETHERGLYCOL ETHERGLYCOL ETHER• NOT CLEAR WHAT GLYCOL ETHER IS USED• IN PRINCIPLE, IS “BEST” ALTERNATIVE FROM CLEANING

STANDPOINT– SOLVENT AND WATER SOLUBLE COMPONENTSSOLVENT AND WATER SOLUBLE COMPONENTS

• AGGRESSIVE CLEANER• WATER SEPARATION DIFFICULT• DO NOT NEED TO SPOT• CYCLE TIME IS LONG

G CO S OC• GLYCOL ETHERS ARE VOCs• TOXICITY NOT CLEAR

TRADITIONAL WET CLEANINGTRADITIONAL WET CLEANING

• RELIES ON WATER AND DETERGENT

• WASHER AND HUMIDITY CONTROLLED DRYER

– GARMENTS REMOVED WITH RESIDUAL MOISTURE CONTENT

• AGGRESSIVE CLEANING METHOD

• USED WITH TENSIONING EQUIPMENT FOR FINISHING

– FINISHING LABOR IS HIGHER

• NOT ACCEPTED BY INDUSTRY AS EXCLUSIVE ALTERNATIVE

TraditionalTraditional Wet Cleaning Equipment

ICY WATERICY WATER

• SIMILAR TO WET CLEANING

• USES WASHER WITH REFRIGERATED CONDENSER, LOWER AGITATION

• DRIES IN COLD AIR

• CAN USE TRADITIONAL FINISHING EQUIPMENT

– GARMENTS EASIER TO FINISH

• EQUIPMENT MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE

GREEN JETGREEN JET

• RELIES ON WATER AND DETERGENT

• USES SPRAY OF WATER/DETERGENT RATHER THAN IMMERSION

– FINISHING MUCH EASIER THAN FOR WET CLEANING

• VERY NON-AGGRESSIVE CLEANING

– BETTER AS A SUPPLEMENTARY TECHNOLOGY

Green Jet MachineGreen Jet Machine

CARBON DIOXIDECARBON DIOXIDE

• USES CARBON DIOXIDE AND DETERGENT FOR CLEANING

• MACHINES OPERATE UNDER 700 PSI PRESSURE

• NON-AGGRESSIVE CLEANER

• SHORT CYCLE TIME

• EQUIPMENT VERY EXPENSIVE

CarbonCarbon Dioxide Equipment

OTHEROTHEROTHEROTHER

• n-PB– REPRODUCTIVE TOXIN, CAUSES NERVE DAMAGE, MAY BE

CARCINOGEN

– USED IN PERC MACHINE

– AGGRESSIVE CLEANER

– UNSTABLE TO HYDROLYSISUNSTABLE TO HYDROLYSIS

• SOLVAIR– COMBINATION OF GLYCOL ETHER AND CARBON DIOXIDE

– AGGRESSIVE CLEANER

– EQUIPMENT VERY EXPENSIVE

CONCLUSIONS FOR TEXTILECONCLUSIONS FOR TEXTILECONCLUSIONS FOR TEXTILE CONCLUSIONS FOR TEXTILE CLEANING ALTERNATIVESCLEANING ALTERNATIVES

• WET CLEANING, CARBON DIOXIDE BEST PROCESSES FROM OVERALL HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL STANDPOINT– NOT ACCEPTED OR EXPENSIVE– REQUIRE TECHNICAL AND COST IMPROVEMENTS

• MUCH OF INDUSTRY ADOPTING HYDROCARBON• MUCH OF INDUSTRY ADOPTING HYDROCARBON– NEXT GENERATION LIKELY TO BE WET CLEANING, CARBON

DIOXIDESOME ALTERNATIVES CLEARLY DANGEROUS• SOME ALTERNATIVES CLEARLY DANGEROUS– D5– nPB

HAZARDOUS WASTEHAZARDOUS WASTEHAZARDOUS WASTE HAZARDOUS WASTE CHARACTERISTICS OF ALTERNATIVESCHARACTERISTICS OF ALTERNATIVES• NONE ARE LISTED HAZARDOUS WASTES

• WASTE STREAMS UNLIKELY TO BE HAZARDOUS WASTE

BY REASON OF CLEANING SOLVENT

• WASTE STREAMS MAY EXHIBIT AQUATIC TOXICITY

– DETERGENTS

• WASTE STREAMS MAY BE HAZARDOUS BECAUSE OF

SPOTTING CHEMICALS

WASTE STREAM SAMPLINGWASTE STREAM SAMPLING

• TESTED WASH AND RINSE EFFLUENTS TWICE WITH LACSD– FOUR CLEANERS USING WATER-BASED SYSTEMS

• TESTED STILL BOTTOMS / SLUDGE AND SEPARATOR WATER• TESTED STILL BOTTOMS / SLUDGE AND SEPARATOR WATER WITH LACSD– GREEN EARTH, HYDROCARBON AND GLYCOL ETHER CLEANERS

• TESTED STILL BOTTOMS WITH LACSD– CARBON DIOXIDE CLEANER

TESTED STILL BOTTOMS / SLUDGE AND SEPARATOR WATER• TESTED STILL BOTTOMS / SLUDGE AND SEPARATOR WATER WITH DTSC– EIGHT HYDROCARBON CLEANERS

WASTE STREAM ANALYSIS RESULTSWASTE STREAM ANALYSIS RESULTSWASTE STREAM ANALYSIS RESULTS WASTE STREAM ANALYSIS RESULTS • PERC OR TCE FOUND IN FIRST ROUND SAMPLES FROM

THREE CLEANERS USING WATER-BASED PROCESSESTHREE CLEANERS USING WATER-BASED PROCESSES

• PERC OR TCE FOUND IN SECOND ROUND SAMPLES FROM TWO CLEANERS USING WATER-BASED PROCESSES

• NO TOXIC VOLATILE OR SEMI-VOLATILE COMPONENTS FOUND ABOVE DETECTION LEVELS FOR LACSD FACILITIES BUT SAMPLES WERE VERY DILUTE

• PERC AND/OR TCE FOUND IN AT LEAST ONE STREAM ANALYZED AT EACH OF EIGHT HYDROCARBON FACILITIESANALYZED AT EACH OF EIGHT HYDROCARBON FACILITIES– ALSO FOUND OTHER CHEMICALS WHICH ARE LISTED AS

WASTES

WASTE STREAM ANALYSISWASTE STREAM ANALYSISRESULTS CONT’D RESULTS CONT’D

• STILL BOTTOMS / SLUDGE RESULTS• STILL BOTTOMS / SLUDGE RESULTS– HYDROCARBON, GREEN EARTH, GLYCOL ETHER AND

CARBON DIOXIDE DID EXHIBIT AQUATIC TOXICITY

– HYDROCARBON TONSIL CLEANERS DID NOT EXHIBIT AQUATIC TOXICITY

• SEPARATOR WATER RESULTS• SEPARATOR WATER RESULTS– DID NOT EXHIBIT AQUATIC TOXICITY

CONCLUSIONS FROM ANALYSISCONCLUSIONS FROM ANALYSISCONCLUSIONS FROM ANALYSISCONCLUSIONS FROM ANALYSIS

C C S S• PERC, TCE PRESENT IN MANY WASTE AND EFFLUENT

STREAMS AT TEXTILE CLEANING FACILITIES

ARE LISTED RCRA WASTES SO CAUSES WASTE STREAMS• ARE LISTED RCRA WASTES SO CAUSES WASTE STREAMS

TO BE HAZARDOUS WASTE

WET CLEANING EFFLUENTS CONTAINING PERC OR TCE• WET CLEANING EFFLUENTS CONTAINING PERC OR TCE

CANNOT BE DISCHARGED

SOURCE OF PERC MAY BE VARIED BUT SOURCE OF TCE• SOURCE OF PERC MAY BE VARIED BUT SOURCE OF TCE

IS CLEARLY SPOTTING CHEMICALS

CONCLUSIONS FROM ANALYSISCONCLUSIONS FROM ANALYSISCONCLUSIONS FROM ANALYSIS CONCLUSIONS FROM ANALYSIS CONT’DCONT’D

• OTHER LISTED WASTES FOUND IN SEPARATOR WATER

AND STILL BOTTOM / SLUDGE WASTESAND STILL BOTTOM / SLUDGE WASTES

• STILL BOTTOMS OR SLUDGE FOR SOME ALTERNATIVES

MAY BE HAZARDOUS WASTE BECAUSE OF AQUATIC

TOXICITY

HOW DO CLEANERS HANDLEHOW DO CLEANERS HANDLEHOW DO CLEANERS HANDLEHOW DO CLEANERS HANDLEWASTE STREAMS?WASTE STREAMS?

• PERC CLEANERS– SHIP STILL BOTTOMS AND FILTERS / SLUDGE AS

HAZARDOUS WASTESHAZARDOUS WASTES

– GENERALLY EVAPORATE SEPARATOR WATER

• OTHER CLEANERS– SHIP STILL BOTTOMS AND SLUDGE AS HAZARDOUS WASTE

– GENERALLY EVAPORATE SEPARATOR WATER BUT NOT LEGAL TO DO SO

– WATER-BASED EFFLUENTS ARE DISCHARGED

TEXTILE CLEANING SPOTTING TEXTILE CLEANING SPOTTING C G S O GC G S O GCHEMICALSCHEMICALS

• CLEANERS USE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SPOTTING• CLEANERS USE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SPOTTING CHEMICALS

• “POG” SPOTTING CHEMICALS CONTAIN TCE, PERC– 42,000 GALLONS PER YEAR OF TCE WITH

CONCENTRATION FROM 10 TO 100 PERCENT– 150 GALLONS PER YEAR OF PERC– 150 GALLONS PER YEAR OF PERC

• TCE IS VOC WHEREAS PERC IS NOT– VOC EMISSIONS FROM POG SPOTTING AGENTS

ESTIMATED AT ABOUT ONE TON PER DAY

ALTERNATIVES PROJECT ALTERNATIVES PROJECT S OJ CS OJ CDESCRIPTIONDESCRIPTION

SPONSORED BY DTSC / EPA• SPONSORED BY DTSC / EPA

• PURPOSE WAS TO IDENTIFY, DEVELOP, TEST LOW-VOC, LOW TOXICITY ALTERNATIVE POG SPOTTING AGENTSLOW TOXICITY ALTERNATIVE POG SPOTTING AGENTS

• DID NOT WANT ALTERNATIVES THAT WOULD MAKE WASTE STREAMS HAZARDOUS WASTE

• CONDUCTED SCREENING TESTS

• TESTED WITH TEXTILE CLEANERS USING PERC ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGIES

• CONDUCTED LONGER TERM TESTS WITH CLEANERS

White Shirt With Blue Screen Printing InkPrinting Ink

Yellow PantsYellow Pants With Motor Oil

Blue ShirtBlue Shirt With Black Latex Paint

Beige PantsBeige Pants With Mascara

Gold Jacket With BlackWith Black Sharpie Marker

B i Shi tBeige Shirt With Lipstick

SCREENING CONT’DSCREENING CONT’DSCREENING CONT DSCREENING CONT D• RANGE OF CLEANERS TESTED

– VARIOUS WATER-BASED CLEANERS– VARIOUS SOY PRODUCTS– ACETONE PRODUCTS– SOLVENT PRODUCTS

• TESTED ONLY ONE COMMERCIAL SPOTTING PRODUCT– COLD PLUS

• RESULTS OF SCREENING TESTS INDICATED A VARIETY OF PRODUCTS WERE PROMISING– COLD PLUS– MIRACHEM NP 2520– SOY GOLD 2500

DB– DB– 90% SOY GOLD 2500 / 10 % DB– 90% SOY GOLD 2500 / 10 % ACETONE – 90% DB / 10% ACETONE90% DB / 10% ACETONE

SCREENING CONT’DSCREENING CONT’DSCREENING CONT DSCREENING CONT D

• ALL OF SELECTED ALTERNATIVES HAD TO BE WATER SOLUBLE & WATER RINSEABLE

• PROPER SPOTTING PROCEDURE– APPLY SPOTTING AGENT– FLUSH WITH STEAM– DRY WITH COMPRESSED AIR

Spotting Board p gWith Spotting Agents

FIELD TESTSFIELD TESTSFIELD TESTSFIELD TESTS• SUBSTITUTED DPM FOR DB• TESTED WITH SEVEN TEXTILE CLEANERS USING VARIOUS

PERC ALTERNATIVES– HYDROCARBON– WET CLEANING– GREEN EARTH– GREEN JET– CARBON DIOXIDE– ICY WATER

• TESTED FIRST WITH SPOTTERS ON GOODWILL GARMENTS– COMFORT LEVEL– DETERMINE IF SPOTTING AGENTS LEFT RING– IF SPOTTING PERFORMED PROPERLY, WILL NOT LEAVE RING

FIELD TESTS CONT’DFIELD TESTS CONT’DFIELD TESTS CONT DFIELD TESTS CONT D

• TESTED ON CUSTOMERS’ GARMENTS

• STRONG PERSONAL PREFERENCES

• IRTA PROVIDED LARGER QUANTITIES OF PREFERRED SPOTTING AGENTS TO SHOPS

• ONE OR MORE SPOTTING AGENTS PERFORMED WELL AT ALL FACILITIES

Cleaner Spotting Garment

COST ANALYSISCOST ANALYSISCOST ANALYSISCOST ANALYSIS• MARKUPS VERY HIGH IN THIS INDUSTRY FOR TCE

PRICE COMPARISONSPOTTING AGENT PRICE PER GALLONTCE $46COLD PLUS $36

PRICE COMPARISON

COLD PLUS $36SOY GOLD 2500 $25MIRACHEM NP 2520 $20

$DPM $2590% SOY GOLD 2500 / 10% ACETONE $2590% SOY GOLD 2500 / 10% DPM $2690% DPM / 10% ACETONE $24

• COST OF THE ALTERNATIVES LOWER THAN COST OF TCE

Cold Plus POG Spotting Agent

Nature’s Choice POG Spotting Agentg

CONCLUSIONS FOR SPOTTING CONCLUSIONS FOR SPOTTING CHEMICALSCHEMICALS

• INDUSTRY CONVERTING AWAY FROM PERC TO ALTERNATIVESALTERNATIVES

• POG SPOTTING AGENTS USED WIDELY– CONTAIN TCE AND PERCCONTAIN TCE AND PERC

• NEED SAFER ALTERNATIVES• PROJECT RESULTS INDICATE SAFER ALTERNATIVES ARE

EFFECTIVE• COST OF ALTERNATIVES LOWER THAN COST OF TCE

ONE SUPPLIER SELLING TWO ALTERNATIVES• ONE SUPPLIER SELLING TWO ALTERNATIVES– COLD PLUS– NATURE’S CHOICE

PERC Dry Cleaning AlternativesPERC Dry Cleaning AlternativesFREE EXPO

Sunday, May 18th, 20089:45 AM to 3:30 PM

Southern California Edison’s Customer Technology Application Center (CTAC)Customer Technology Application Center (CTAC)

6090 North Irwindale AvenueIrwindale, CA 91702

i d d C b i id h l iFeaturing Water-Based and Carbon Dioxide TechnologiesAttendance is Free

Continental Breakfast and Buffet Lunch will be ProvidedTo Register as an Attendee or to reserve a vendor table, please call 818-244-0300 or email irta@earthlink.net

CONTACT INFORMATIONCONTACT INFORMATIONCONTACT INFORMATIONCONTACT INFORMATION

Katy Wolf, Ph.D, Directory , ,

Institute for Research and Technical Assistance (IRTA)

230 N Maryland Ave Ste 103230 N. Maryland Ave., Ste. 103

Glendale, CA 91206

( )Phone: (818)244-0300

Fax: (818)244-0396

Cell: (818)317-9260

Email: kwolf.irta@earthlink.net