The environment is a topical issue and businesses must recognise and manage the impacts they make.
Solvents are organic liquids that evaporate easily at normal temperature and pressure, giving rise to volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions.
Organic compounds used as
The environment is a topical issue and businesses must recognise and manage the impacts they make.
Solvents are organic liquids that evaporate easily at normal temperature and pressure, giving rise to volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions.
Organic compounds used as solvents include:
- Aromatic compounds, such as benzene and toluene
- Alcohols, such as methanol
- Esters and ethers
- Ketenes, such as acetone
- Nitrated and halogenated hydrocarbons.
Organic solvents are widely used in industry for cleaning and degreasing, thinning and dissolving. There are many problems relating to the use of organic solvents/VOCs, some of the main ones:
- Aare classified as toxic, irritants or carcinogenic and can be the primary or contributory cause to many health issues such as irritation and damage to eyes, lungs and skin; headaches; nausea, dizziness and light-headedness. When a person is affected by solvents/VOCs there is an increased risk of having an accident;
- Are dangero