Exposure Assessment and Biomarkers Environmental Sensing

Using Safer Degreasers

Submitted by lhayward on

This flier was created to inform people about ways to minimize health risks associated with exposure to degreasers. Degreasers are commonly used in auto shops and other settings to remove grease and grime from engine compartments, wheels, and the exterior surfaces of vehicles. Traditional degresasers contain high levels of volatile organic chemicals, exposure to which is associated with both short-term and long-term health effects such as skin irritation and cancer. New safer cleaning products and technologies can provide safer alternatives.

Shifting Gears: Safer Solutions for Auto Shop Cleaning

Auto shops often use parts cleaners—baths of solvents that are used to dissolve grease and grime from, for example, the components of a carburetor. “Even if the baths are closed, they still emit a lot of vapors and produce hazardous waste” said Diana Ceballos, an assistant professor in the University of Washington (UW) Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS) and expert on assessing exposures to chemicals such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a common component of commercial degreasers.

Summary of the Diesel Exhaust Exposure in the Duwamish Study (DEEDS)

Submitted by lhayward on

This results newsletter was created to inform community participants about the results of a study they were involved in to measure diesel emissions in five different Seattle neighborhoods. Figures show wide disparities in pollution levels within Seattle. Information about the health impacts of air pollution is also included.

 

 

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