Issue link: http://psai.uberflip.com/i/865272
W EEKLY EDITION AUG 23, 2017 What You Need to Know about Formaldehyde …continued By PSAI Executive Director Karleen Kos What Suppliers Say For this article, I reached out to representatives of several deodorizer suppliers offering a range of formaldehyde - based and formaldehyde - free products. Two responded, and here are some excerpts from what they said. Peter Zehr, President of FGL Group/CPACEX, noted the following: • As with any product, proper labeling is applied [by manufacturers] to every container to ensure correct handling in the field. • Products [must be] compliant with GHS [the Globally Harmonized System for Hazard communication] standards. • [Safety Data Sheets] provided with [each] product [should be used] as guideline to follow for [identifying] proper [personal protective equipment, i.e.,] PPE, safe handling, potential hazards, and proper storage. • [Manufacturers should make the portable sanitation ] operator aware of proper dilution and concentration levels when using the product. • The hotter the climate the more prevalent the use of formaldehyde. Many operators find that formaldehyde is a lower cost option to counteract the odor in a unit in the h eat of summer or in over - used sites. • Some state and local regulations eliminate the use of formaldehyde. [Some waste water treatment plants] will not accept waste with formaldehyde and [it] cannot be land applied. • Some operators could have skin sensitiv ities to formaldehyde. Dale Wallace, General Manager of Green Way Products by PolyPortables, had this to say in answer to questions we posed: What are the pros and cons of formaldehyde - based products in our industry? The advantage of [f]ormaldehyde deodorizer is that it is very cheap and effective at controlling odors. In reality, it is not as effective pound per pound as many of the alternative deodorizers but because it is so inexpensive, operators can afford to pour more of it into fresh water to control odors. Because of this, operators are choosing formaldehyde products over other options. In the hottest temperatures and highest usage locations, it gives them the confidence that their customers are being taken care of at the lowest cost p er service. Save money equals make money and that's not always wrong, however, saving money and making money at the expense of others brings us to some of the disadvantages of using formaldehyde deodorizers. PAGE 3 CONTINUE D ON PAGE 4