Health, safety, and ecological implications of using biobased floor-stripping products.

* The authors examined the EHS implications of some alternative cleaning products made of biologically based (biobased) materials.

* These products are potential substitutes for petroleum-based floor strippers such as Johnson Wax Professional (Pro Strip).

* The study also examined the costs of switching to these alternative substitutes.

* There is an ongoing debate about whether biobased cleaning products are safer, healthier, and more environmentally sustainable than conventional solvent-based cleaners.

* Many issues confront organizations that want to switch from petroleum solvent-based products to biobased floor strippers.

* One problem is the large number of products on the market.

* Some manufacturers have labeled their products as environmentally friendly when their products do not objectively offer such attributes.

* There is great variability in the literature from one product to another.

* Also, manufacturers do not disclose all the components of their formulations on the material safety data sheets (MSDSs).

* This situation makes it extremely difficult to evaluate toxicity.

* A strategy called toxics use reduction (TUR) planning can address some of these problems.

* TUR planning promotes the use of techniques such as product or material substitution, process changes, and good housekeeping.

* The main focus is to reduce pollution and human health impacts at the "beginning of the pipe."

* With TUR planning, it would be uneconomical to perform a detailed environmental health and safety analysis or even to attempt an economic evaluation of multiple products.

* Instead, quick methods of narrowing down the available options have evolved.

* One of these methods is the use of five key parameters to develop an initial screening score for floor-stripping products.

* These parameters are

-- global-warming potential (GWP);

-- ozone depletion potential (ODP);

-- volatile organic compounds (VOCs);

-- pH; and

-- ratings of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Hazardous Material Information System (HMIS) on flammability, reactivity, and health.

* The authors screened eight biobased products.

* All of the biobased products had better scores than the solvent-based product (Pro Strip).

* At 25 percent volume per volume, Pro Strip was found to be the cheapest product to use.

* Pro Strip, however, contains sodium xylene sulphonate, benzyl alcohol, and ethylene glycol monobutylether (EGBE).

* These components have been linked to significant health, safety, and environmental impacts.

* Because of time constraints, the authors were not able to estimate the indirect but important costs of these impacts.

* Pro Strip has many technical advantages, including high contaminant removal efficiency.

* Its use shortens the time needed to strip a floor.

* By comparison, the biobased floor strippers require a longer time and heating.

* The costs of heating may offset potential environmental, health, and safety benefits.

* This issue and others may require further investigation.

* Additional parameters might be needed for more detailed analysis.

* They include

-- persistence,

-- bioaccumulation and aquatic-toxicity potential,

-- carcinogenicity,

-- mutagenicity, and

-- reproductive toxicity (CMR).