Chlorinated solvents still widely used

Chlorinated solvents still widely used

Chlorinated solvents still widely used

The European Chlorinated Solvent Association (ECSA) has issued a new booklet Plain Facts about Chlorinated Solvents. World-wide use of chlorinated solvents in 1998 was still approximately 0.94 million tonnes, of which some 290,000 was used in Europe, particularly for metal cleaning – including prior to painting, and in the form of methylene chloride for paint stripping.

The quantity used is declining regularly, largely due to reduced emission to the atmosphere and increased recycling, rather than reduced overall use. However, it is expected that the amounts used will further decrease with the entry into force of the Solvents Emission Directive, also called VOC Directive, on 1 April 2001.

The ECSA booklet has been produced to give some perspectives on chlorinated solvents. As it explains, perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene and methylene chloride pose no threat to human health or safety, do not deplete the ozone layer, and do not present significant risks to the environment when handled responsibly. The only chlorinated solvent that is associated with ozone depletion – methyl chloroform or 1,1,1-trichloroethane – is regulated by the Montreal Protocol. Its production declined rapidly in the early 1990s and ceased in 1995.

Copies of the booklet are available from ECSA at Avenue E.Van Nieuwenhuyse 4, B-1160 Brussels. Tel: +32 2 676 73 54; Fax: +32 2 676 72 41.