RPS Environmental Solutions attended Longwall USA June 21-23, 2011, in Pittsburgh, PA. at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

We’re participating in this exhibit with Micon Products International (MPI) to introduce our safer, more effective products and solutions to the mining industry. Visit us at Booth 1030 to learn more about our unique technology and our Remedia^TM line of products, distributed by Solterra^TM through our distributor representative, MPI. Featured products include our Heavy Metal Stabilizer and our Hydrocarbon Stabilizer, both of which can be used in situ to maximize cost-effectiveness. Longwall USA is an international exhibition and conference and North America’s most important coal mining event. Come see what can be done when you’re powered by RPS technology^TM! Questions? Contact us now!

RPS Environmental attended WasteExpo May 9-11, 2011, in Dallas, Texas.

Our booth highlighted our unique technology and our Remedia^TM line of products, including our Heavy Metal Stabilizer, Hydrocarbon Stabilizer and Industrial Odor Eliminator, all of which can be used in situ or at landfills, distributed by Solterra^TM, the remediation division of RPS.

Featured Remedia^TM products are cost-effective and are recognized for safer chemistry for people and the environment by the EPA’s Design for the Environment(DfE) program. They have zero VOC’s, contain no harsh chemicals and are rapidly biodegradable, allergen free and are not hazardous.

WasteExpo is North America’s largest solid waste and recycling tradeshow serving both the private and public sectors.

We showed our visitors what can be done when you’re powered by RPS technology^TM!

RPS Environmental Solutions attended the Shale Gas Water Management Marcellus Initiative 2011, 13 April – ­ 14 April in Pittsburgh, PA.

Also in attendance, such leading companies as Chevron Energy Technology, Schlumberger Water Services, Baker Hughes, Encanca Oil & Gas USA, Chesapeake Energy Exploration, Dupont, Haliburton, GE, and others.

We  introduced our unique technology and our Remedia^TM line of products, produced for Solterra^TM, the remediation division of RPS, including our Heavy Metal Stabilizer, an essential tool for natural gas companies in eliminating risk related to wastewater, including ammonia nitrate. Here are the Shale Gas Water Management related materials we presented at the trade show, including video modules we provided that feature our Remedia^TM Hydrocarbon Stabilizer and Remedia^TM Heavy Metal Stabilizer.

Indoor Air Quality – How much bad is really bad?

The air inside your office, your kids’ school, and in the sanctity of your home is pretty clean, right? After all, you and the various hired staff are cleaning regularly and as you enter, you know it is clean because you can smell it. Smell what?

Could it be that the smell of clean is – no smell?

What we smell after using cleaners for the floor, furniture, glass, counter tops, bathroom areas, etc. includes VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) which can be harmful to us and our children and pets. In fact, there are tests showing the indoor air to contain elevated levels of various ingredients of cleaning chemicals long after the use of the chemicals. So, in a tightly built home, school, or office, where we spend up to 90% of our time, we could be breathing in VOCs all the time we are there.

In a study performed for the EPA of air quality in 100 office buildings (BASE Study) it was found that there are significant amounts of VOCs in the office environment. Things like Formaldehyde, Acetone, Toluene, 2-butoxyethanol, Limonene, and Trimethylbenzene were found among many others. Many of the compounds discovered in these offices are harmful to humans. Some are found at levels that are not expected to be a problem when breathed in at the concentrations found for an 8 hour period. What is not mentioned in the analysis of this report is that when the worker goes home, he or she may breathe the same or similar chemicals from the home cleaning process for another 12 hours or more each  day.

Also, while the amount of any one given contaminant may be breathed in at below levels of concern, there is a real possibility that when all the contaminants are added together and the individual worker is breathing VOCs at over 300 ug/cubic meter instead of the individual contaminant at, say, 12 ug/ cubic meter – there could be a more severe problem. The average VOCs in the buildings was above 300.

We would like to believe our schools are better cleaned and safer than even our offices. Such is not the case.

In a study of school cleaning chemicals reported by the Environmental Working Group, 20 cleaning chemicals known to be used in California schools were tested for VOCs. They found 457 VOCs emitted from the 20 cleaning products:

• Comet Powder Cleaner released 146 chemicals,
• Simple Green released 93
• Febreze Air Effects released 89

When studied as to what compounds were released that would be of concern, the list is quite long.

According to U.S. and international health agencies twenty-four air contaminants detected by EWG tests may cause asthma, cancer, and other serious health concerns affecting children and adults. Seven more toxic cleaning chemicals that can linger on surfaces and contaminate dust are disclosed as ingredients by product manufacturers. Ten of the products tested contained one or more of the chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer or reproductive or developmental toxicity:

• Alpha HP Multi-Surface Cleaner, Citrus-Scrub 90
• Comet Disinfectant Powder Cleanser
• Febreze Air Effects
• Goof Off Cleaner (CA VOC Compliant)
• Pine-Sol Brand Cleaner (Original)
• Pioneer Super Cleaner
• Shineline Seal Floor Sealer/Finish
• Simple Green Concentrated Cleaner/Degreaser/Deodorizer
• Waxie Green Floor Finish

Twelve of these toxic chemicals, known widely as Proposition 65 chemicals, are found in the cleaning supplies tested by EWG, including:

• Benzene, a solvent and contaminant linked to cancer and male reproductive system toxicity (Comet Disinfectant Powder Cleanser)

• Chloroform, a gas that causes cancer and developmental toxicity (Comet Disinfectant Powder Cleanser)

• Dibutyl phthalate, an emulsifier known to damage developing male and female reproductive systems (Shineline Seal Floor Sealer/Finish).

• Formaldehyde, a cancer-causing gas also emitted by some building materials and furniture (Simple Green Concentrated Cleaner/Degreaser/Deodorizer, Pine-Sol Original Cleaner, Comet Disinfectant Powder Cleanser, Super Cleaner Concentrate)

• Comet Disinfectant Powder Cleanser alone emitted seven Proposition 65 chemicals.

Products that expose users to Proposition 65 chemicals above legally prescribed levels must be clearly labeled as such under the law, to allow individuals and institutions, such as schools, to choose safer products. Recently, the manufacturer of the graffiti remover Goof Off was successfully sued by a public interest law firm because its Proposition 65 warning label was insufficient (As You Sow v. The Valspar Corporation, 2008).
The Study Reports the Following Toxic Chemicals Either Discovered By Analysis or Declared By the Manufacturer:

*Chemicals not detected in air contaminant tests, but disclosed as ingredients by manufacturers Asthmagens identified by the
Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics (AOEC 2009). Carcinogens identified by International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as known, probable, reasonably anticipated, or possible human carcinogens (IARC; Groups 1, 2A, and 2B), the National Toxicology Program (Groups 1 and 2), the EPA Integrated Risk Information System (weight-of-evidence classifications A, B1, B2, C, carcinogenic, likely to be carcinogenic, and suggestive evidence of carcinogenicity or carcinogen potential), or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (as carcinogens under 29 CFR 1910.1003(a)(1)) Reproductive toxins identified by the State of California under the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (California Code of Regulations, Title 22, Division 2, Subdivision 1, Chapter 3, Sections 1200, et. seq., also known as Proposition 65). Hormone disrupters identified by the European Union in Appendix 9 of Towards the Establishment of a Priority List of Substances for Further Evaluation of Their Role in Endocrine Disruption (European Commission DG ENV 2000, 2007) Neurotoxins identified in literature review by Grandjean and Landrigan (2006).

It is significant that a manufacturer need not disclose ingredients that are not designated as hazardous, nor is it required to list a hazardous ingredient if it is used at less than 1%.

Examples of Dangerous Products Currently In Use

• Formula 409 contains n-Alkyl Dimethylbenzyl Ammonium Chloride, n-Propoxypropanol, and Monoethanolamine. Worker exposure limit is between 3-6 parts per million.

• Tilex contains Tetrapotassium ethylenediamine tetraacetate (EDTA) which has been found to be both cytotoxic and genotoxic in laboratory animals and is known to cause reproductive and developmental effects.

• Simple Green contains 2-butoxyethenol Lethal dose is 2.5 mg/kg in rats and exposure to humans can cause hypotension, metabolic acidosis, hemolysis, pulmonary edema, coma, and death.

In your home you may be using many of these same cleaning compounds.

In 2004, the US EPA developed a number of purchasing guides to help government purchasers consider environmental factors in their purchasing decisions. One of these purchasing guides that the EPA developed was to help federal purchasers “Green” their cleaning products. This particular purchasing guide is intended to help reduce human health and environmental concern with regards to cleaning products that are currently in use. Many of the recommendations in the guide are centered around reducing the quantity and hazards of materials currently being used. The purpose of the guide is to provide practical information that will assist federal purchasers in making purchasing decisions.

The EPA came up with following list of key attributes when selecting environmentally preferable cleaning products and RPS’s solution to each is in green.

Product Content and Use

Minimal presence of or exposure to potentially harmful chemicals, such as:

Corrosive or strongly irritating substances.

Substances classified as known or likely human carcinogens or reproductive toxicants by authorities such as the National Toxicology Program, the U.S. EPA, the International Agency for Research on Cancer or the State of California.

Ozone-depleting compounds as listed in Clean Air Act regulations.

Regulated hazardous materials (e.g. products classified as hazardous waste; products that trigger OSHA hazard communication requirements).

RPS SOLUTION – Our products do not contain any of the above mentioned harmful chemicals. In addition, RPS products are recognized by the EPA’s Design for the Environment program (DfE) for safer chemistry.

Use of renewable resources, such as biobased solvents from citrus, seed, vegetable, and pine oils.

RPS SOLUTION – RPS products are sustainable and are also manufactured in a zero discharge facility. Some raw materials are biobased.

Low VOC content.

RPS SOLUTION – RPS products contain Zero VOC’s.

Biodegradable by standard methods and definitions, e.g. ready biodegradability as defined by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). “Ready biodegradability” is a definition meant to ensure that a material degrades relatively quickly in an aquatic aerobic environment.

RPS SOLUTION – Our products contain inorganic materials that are not harmful to the environment, but may not be technically biodegradable. However, the parts of the formula that contain organic materials are biodegradable. RPS products meet the definition of readily biodegradable (OECD 301).

Low toxicity in aquatic species such as fish or aquatic invertebrates, e.g. LC50 or EC50 > 10 mg/L (chronic) reported on MSDS or other product literature.

RPS SOLUTION – Our Hydrocarbon Stabilizer (concentrate) was tested on two salt water species (Mysid shrimp and Menidia) and showed LC 50s of 2,028 ppm and 2,014 ppm. This compares to 32 ppm, 54 ppm, and 77 ppm for Corexit 9,500, PES 51 (Citrus Based), and Simple Green, respectively (in the Mysid test). The Menidia test for the same products resulted in 25 ppm, 137 ppm, and 28 ppm. In addition, RPS product had 100% survival at about 1000 ppm.

Our Hydrocarbon Stabilizer (ready-to-use) was also tested on two freshwater species (Daphnia pulex and Fathead minnows) and showed LC 50s of 420,000 and 520,000 ppm. RPS Hydrocarbon Stabilizer had 100% survival of the fresh water species at 125,000 ppm (12.5%).

Low flammability, e.g. flash point > 200 degrees F.

RPS SOLUTION – RPS products are water-based products, so flashpoint is not applicable (Flashpoint > 200 degrees F).

Designed for use in cold water in order to conserve energy.

RPS SOLUTION – RPS products are designed to be used in cold water.

Limit use of disinfectants to areas where people are likely to come into contact with contaminated surfaces (e.g., bathroom fixtures, doorknobs, other high-touch surfaces). Many general purpose cleaning tasks do not typically require the use of disinfectants (e.g., walls, floors, other surfaces with minimal hand contact).

RPS SOLUTION – Our cleaning products do not require the use of disinfectants. Based on ASTM test methods and testing done by independent laboratories, RPS cleaning products clean more effectively than the competition. The products are safer to use near children, plants and animals.

Conduct training on proper use of products.

RPS SOLUTION – RPS has established a training program for its employees and customers. In addition, RPS provides ongoing support for its customers.

Product Packaging and Shipping

Concentrated formulas with appropriate handling safeguards.

RPS SOLUTION – All RPS products are transported in drums and/or bottles of concentrate and are checked by quality controllers. In addition, RPS products can be washed down the drain as they meet sanitary sewer standards. Applicable RPS products are designed for use in cleaning food preparation areas and carry the NSF logo (requiring only a potable water rinse prior to food preparation on the cleaned surface).

Efficient packaging (e.g., light weight, reduced volume).

RPS SOLUTION – RPS packaging materials are recyclable plastic. There is minimal use of metals except on the intermediate bulk containers. The IBC’s are all 100% recycled or sometimes re-used “as is”. RPS ships concentrated product (when applicable) so as to reduce volume.

Recyclable packaging.

RPS SOLUTION – RPS packaging is made from 100% recyclable plastics.

Recycled-content packaging.

RPS SOLUTION – RPS uses recycled content in its packaging and RPS’ bulk packaging is also reused.

Refillable bottles.

RPS SOLUTION – RPS offers refillable options for all of its products.

Pump sprays rather than aerosols.

RPS SOLUTION – All of RPS quart sized bottles have pump sprays. RPS does not use aerosol for any of its products.

Packaging and dilution systems designed to reduce exposure to the product.

RPS SOLUTION – RPS dilution and packaging systems provide a consistent final product, allowing tight product specifications and reduced exposure to the product.

Products shipped in bulk.

RPS SOLUTION – RPS concentrate is shipped in drums, totes, or tank trucks directly to customers.

Clear labeling and information on use and disposal.

RPS SOLUTION – RPS labels are in accordance with all applicable laws and statutes. In addition, RPS labels include all of the necessary guidelines for safe use, dilution and disposal.

Corporate Environmental Performance

Does the company have a formal environmental management system? (e.g., steps to reduce waste and emissions, efficient use of energy and materials, use of alternative fuels or renewable energy)

RPS SOLUTION – RPS has an extensive environmental management system.  Our products are blended in a zero-discharge facility.  RPS is committed to reducing its carbon footprint.  We maintain a delicate balance between human needs and preserving our ecosystems. This includes everything from recycling to doing business with vendors and business partners who adopt similar policies.

Does the company have International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001 certification?

RPS SOLUTION – RPS does not have the ISO certification.  However, RPS has a written quality system in place. The RPS chemical production facility operates with ZERO DISCHARGE of water and solids to rivers, treatment facilities or landfills. There are no hazardous discharges to the air from RPS products (zero VOC’s).

Does the company have a formal partnership with the Design for the Environment Formulator Initiative?

RPS SOLUTION – RPS has numerous products recognized by DfE in the industrial/institutional cleaning products, consumer cleaning products, aviation products, pet, equine, and odor removal categories.