Nalco Releases Additional Technical Information on COREXIT
May 27 2010 - 8:09AM
COREXIT 9500, the only dispersant Nalco (NYSE:NLC) is manufacturing
to help break up the oil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico, is a
simple blend of six well-established, safe ingredients that
biodegrade, do not bioaccumulate and are commonly found in popular
household products, the company said today. The COREXIT products do
not contain carcinogens or reproductive toxins. All the
ingredients have been extensively studied for many years and have
been determined safe and effective by the EPA.
"Over the past few days, there has been substantial
misunderstanding about the nature and composition of our product,"
said Erik Fyrwald, President and CEO of Nalco. "COREXIT has played
a significant role in mitigating the disastrous consequences of the
Gulf oil spill and has done so effectively and safely. "To be
clear, we have made available to government regulators all
information related to the product, its ingredients and how it
interacts with the environment. As always, we remain willing to
work with the government in their efforts to minimize the
ecological effects that the oil is having on the Gulf's precious
natural resources." Mr. Fyrwald cited recent statements by EPA
Administrator Lisa P. Jackson and Rear Admiral Mary E. Landry, who
both have described the beneficial impact that dispersants have had
in the Gulf. During a press conference on May 24, Administrator
Jackson said the results of dispersant testing have been
"positive." She added: "Our tracking indicates that the dispersants
are breaking up the oil and speeding its biodegradation, with
limited environmental impact at this time." Admiral Landry added
that without the timely use of dispersants, "much more" oil would
have reached the shoreline from the ruptured pipe in the Gulf.
Additional technical information about COREXIT, its composition and
its features follows.
Composition
- Examples of everyday products with specific ingredients in
common with COREXIT 9500 include:
- One ingredient is used as a wetting agent in dry gelatin,
beverage mixtures, and fruit juice drinks.
- A second ingredient is used in a brand-name dry skin cream and
also in a body shampoo.
- A third ingredient is found in a popular brand of baby bath
liquid.
- A fourth ingredient is found extensively in cosmetics and is
also used as a surface-active agent and emulsifier for agents used
in food contact.
- A fifth ingredient is used by a major supplier of brand name
household cleaning products for "soap scum" removal.
- A sixth ingredient is used in hand creams and lotions, odorless
paints and stain blockers.
Safety
- Data published by Environment Canada, that country's main
environmental agency, in 1991 showed common household dish soap as
having a substantially higher rainbow trout toxicity than COREXIT
9527. Put another way, COREXIT 9527 is more than 7 times safer
than dish soap. COREXIT 9500 is the next generation of COREXIT
products and features an improved formula.
- Lisa P. Jackson, Administrator, EPA said at the May 24 press
briefing,"Our tracking indicates that the dispersants are breaking
up the oil and speeding its biodegradation, with limited
environmental impact at this time."
- According to Ms. Jackson, "We know that dispersants are less
toxic than oil. We know that surface use of dispersants decreases
the risk to shorelines and organisms at the surface when they are
properly applied."
Biodegradation
- A March, 1994, report created by France's Institut National de
L'Enviroenment Industriel et des Risques indicated that COREXIT
9500 largely biodegraded in 28 days. COREXIT oil dispersant
was first applied to the Gulf oil slick on April 23.
Bioaccumulation
- Based on modeling using US EPA software (as part of the EPI
Suite v4.0, 2009), none of the COREXIT product components pose a
risk of bioaccumulating.
Concentration
- At 840,000 gallons, the amount of dispersant in the region of
the 3,850 square-mile slick represents an average concentration of
about 30 parts per billion to the 10 meters of depth the dispersant
will go – even without factoring in that a substantial portion of
the product has already biodegraded.
- By comparison, the EPA allows drinking water to contain
non-biodegradable contaminants -- including carcinogens and
reproductive toxins -- that exceed the level of biodegradable
chemicals present in COREXIT in the Gulf.
Application
- COREXIT is meant to be used at sea – away from the shoreline
and has been used in more than 30 countries, including Sweden,
France, Australia, Norway and Canada. Aerial spraying of dispersant
is not to take place within 2 miles of a boat or 3 miles of a
shoreline. With 30-mile per hour winds, the maximum expected
drift for the dispersant is 2,000 feet. Spraying of dispersant
from boats should only be done with personal protective
equipment. Mists of the dispersant will not stray far from the
boat given the proximity of the spray to the surface of the
water.
For additional information about the use of dispersants, visit
http://www.nalco.com/news-and-events/nalco-oil-dispersant-information.htm.
About Nalco
Nalco is the world's leading water treatment and process
improvement company, delivering significant environmental, social
and economic performance benefits to our customers. We help our
customers reduce energy, water and other natural resource
consumption, enhance air quality, minimize environmental releases
and improve productivity and end products while boosting the bottom
line. Together our comprehensive solutions contribute to the
sustainable development of customer operations. Nalco is a member
of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index. More than 11,500 Nalco
employees operate in 150 countries supported by a comprehensive
network of manufacturing facilities, sales offices and research
centers to serve a broad range of end markets. In 2009, Nalco
achieved sales of more than $3.7 billion. For more information
visit www.nalco.com.
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CONTACT: Nalco Company
Media Contact:
Charlie Pajor
630 305 1556
cpajor@nalco.com
Investor Contact:
Mike Bushman
630 305 1025
mbushman@nalco.com
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