In the report “Nontechnical Summary of the Risk Evaluation for 1-Bromopropane (n-Propyl Bromide)”- August 2020, the (EPA) US Environmental Protection Agency has determined that this solution “presents an unreasonable risk for 16 conditions of use.” The conditions of use are:
- Consumer and industrial use for degreasing and cleaning.
- Vapor degreasers – inline and open-top.
- Cold cleaners.
- Aerosol spray degreaser or cleaner.
- Automotive degreasers -- i.e., for brakes and engines.
The most explicit, clear-cut statement against nPB from a national US regulatory organization to date, signifying the sunset of availability for degreasing, is rapidly approaching. This is considered the final declaration on the security of nPB, so now the EPA has 2-years to set up requirements and limitations.
The responsibility is on the people who are using solvents to choose products carefully and provide their users to handle the chemicals carefully. The lack of such understanding and control can cause employee ill-health, potential liability, and downtime, regardless of a specific chemical's lawful standing.
The time is right to assess alternatives, and luckily, Techspray offers quite a few that can drop-in with no significant trade-offs.
Techspray's expert group has engineered the PWR-4™ cleaning solvents to be a safer replacement for n-propyl bromide and other poisonous solvents. PWR-4™ goods are formulated with trans 1,2-dichloroethylene (trans-DCE) and do not have nPB or any other harmful air pollutants (HAP).