What Is the Product Stewardship
Program for the Bromothane™ Solvents?

MicroCare knows that Bromothane™ solvents can be used safely and cost-effectively in industrial applications. But there are a lot of people out there more interested in getting a sale today than keeping a customer for tomorrow. They omit important facts and gloss over issues that might cost them the sale. That's not the MicroCare way.

So MicroCare, in conjunction with our marketing partners at Great Lakes Chemical, have decided that we are going to offer the world's best technical support and the world's best product stewardship program to back up the Bromothane™ product line. We're going to demand customers use certain types of quality equipment. We're going to insist on employee training. We're going to personally visit every single customer location to make sure the product is being used properly. We're even going to refuse to allow the solvent to be used in certain applications.

The reason for this fuss is that nPB-based solvents have some toxicity concerns. Those issues are manageable and the risk is controllable. But MicroCare and Great Lakes feel strongly that in the 21^st century we have an obligation to our customers and their employees to do everything we can to assist them in using the solvents properly, even if it costs us some sales.

It's just the right thing to do.

What About Bromothane™ Solvents?

The fuss is caused by the fact that, for a number of complex reasons, no official exposure limit has yet been set for nPB. There is no OSHA-defined Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL), no Threshold Limit Value (TLV) set by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), nor a Workplace Environmental Exposure Limit (WEEL) established by the American Industrial Hygiene Association for n-propyl bromide (nPB).

Certain vendors are claiming the product should be rated at 100 ppm or even higher. The only semi-official definition is from the U.S. EPA, through its SNAP process, which has recommended an exposure level of 25 parts per million (ppm). This puts MicroCare and Great Lakes Chemical, the supplier of Bromothane solvents, in a bit of a pickle. What should be the recommended worker exposure level?

After numerous toxicity studies Great Lakes Chemical Corp. has established for Bromothane™ S (the basic Bromothane™ product) an Acceptable Exposure Limit (AEL) of 10 ppm for an 8- and 12-hr "time-weighted average" (TWA). This is slightly more conservative than the 25 ppm set by the EPA. These quantities represent Great Lake's best opinion -- given today's state of the art -- of the airborne concentrations to which nearly all workers may be repeatedly exposed for their entire career without adverse effect.

In turn, MicroCare Marketing Services has established a Product Stewardship Program with all it's customers to control employee exposure levels to the more conservative level of 10 ppm (as an 8-hour Time Weighted Average, or "TWA"). This program includes:

• The restriction that Bromothane products may only be used in engineered systems. These engineered processes -- such as a well-designed and maintained vapor degreaser -- are ones in which every reasonable effort is made to minimize solvent emissions.

• Proper storage and handling procedures should be used to avoid short-term overexposure.

• Where there is a potential for splashing or skin contact, personal protective equipment should be worn made of butyl rubber or other materials that are resistant to penetration by nPB. Suitable eye protection also should be worn.

• Lastly, MicroCare will work with every customer to implement an annual monitoring program to track worker exposure levels.

• Product safety training, vapor degreaser emission training, and an on-site inspection are all part of this product stewardship program.

MicroCare also is proud to offer this unmatched technical expertise with the support of the only major U.S. producer of nPB, Great Lakes Chemical. MicroCare and Great Lakes take their responsibility for product stewardship very seriously. If engineers, specifiers or users desire assistance to understand the information on the Bromothane™ material safety data sheets, product specifications or product labels, or should any person have any other concerns about these products, contact MicroCare Marketing Services.

A Note About Gloves

In general, skin contact with Bromothane solvents should be minimized. Impervious gloves and protective clothing are a mandatory requirement if there is any potential for skin contact. Gloves, splash goggles, aprons (when handling open drums), and safety shoes with steel toes also are highly recommended.

Here's a really good web site which has excellent technical data about the huge array of glove choices available on the market. It's organized by the Office of Radiation, Chemical and Biological Safety (ORCBS) of the Michigan State University, so it's not tied to any one manufacturer or brand. When you identify a chemical it suggests the best type of glove to use. In the color chart, you're looking for gloves rated in white or green.

Updated: February 15, 2006
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