Pilot Projects Program

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.

2024 EDGE Symposium packs the house

On June 6, the University of Washington Interdisciplinary Center for Exposures, Diseases, Genomics & Environment (EDGE) hosted its annual center symposium in Seattle. The theme for the event was “Enhancing Equitable University/ Community Partnerships.” Over 60 faculty, staff, trainees and community partners attended, representing several UW departments as well as the wider Seattle community.

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