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EPA PARTNERSHIP FACILITATES DEVELOPMENT OF LESS TOXIC INDUSTRIAL DETERGENTS

Release Date: 06/20/97
Contact Information:

FOR RELEASE:  FRIDAY, JUNE 20, 1997


EPA PARTNERSHIP FACILITATES DEVELOPMENT OF
LESS TOXIC INDUSTRIAL DETERGENTS

Denise Kearns 202-260-4376

Working under EPA’s Design for the Environment or “DfE” program,
the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics recently signed an
agreement with Ecolab Inc., St. Paul, Minn., to promote the
development and use of industrial detergents that are less toxic
and harmful to the environment.  Under the agreement, Ecolab will
discontinue using alkyl phenol ethoxylates (APEs) and inorganic
phosphates in the manufacture of its TurboRev line of detergent
products which it markets to industrial cleaners.  If present in
wastewater discharged by industrial cleaning facilities, phosphates
can degrade water quality and APEs can be toxic to aquatic life.  
Working with EPA under the DfE program, Ecolab developed its
TurboRev product, a substitute formulation that rapidly biodegrades
and has a lower toxicity.  In addition, the detergent is effective
at lower temperatures, resulting in reduced water and energy use.  
Other benefits of the new product demonstrated under the DfE program
include a reduction in atmospheric volatile organic compounds by
industrial cleaning facilities and the generation of sludge wastes
that have high energy value, enabling the sludge to be recovered as
an energy resource rather than landfilled.  EPA’s DfE program was
started in 1992 to promote pollution prevention through voluntary
partnerships within several industry sectors.  More information on
this or other DfE projects is available online at:
http://www.es.inel.gov/dfe