How to deal with the Perchlorethylene from dry cleaning machines

Members of the public to retrieve dry clothes smell after a while a faint scent, in fact, may have been unknowingly inhaled perchlorethylene, a known carcinogenic toxic gases. Hong Kong 400 old laundry dry cleaning machines have been in use at that emit toxic gases may be carcinogenic perchlorethylene. Hong Kong air contained perchlorethylene(CAS NO: 127-18-4) concentration, far beyond the United States 13 times the ideal standard, the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department hopes to complete the legislation this year to Laundries in 5-7 years replace new dry-cleaning machines. Industry said that the government does not make funding, the cost of replacing dry cleaning machines will be passed on the public and makes dry cleaning fee may increase significantly.

EPD's latest data show that there are about 400 dry-cleaning machines, most of them near residential areas, of which 15% is located in the hotel. The Department Chief Environmental Officer Lin Guolin said that more advanced sealed dry-cleaning machine and the older half of each exhaust dry-cleaning machine, the government intends to step forward than foreign, were given the industry five to seven years of grace replacement, industry but also to meet certain emission standards, otherwise they will be prosecuted.

At present there are all dry-cleaning machines; only one new seal into the replacement model, the rest are not in line with the new legislation emission standards of the old models. The new dry-cleaning machine is equipped with activated carbon adsorption system, toxic gases perchlorethylene from the current eight thousand six hundred millionths nearly tenfold reduction units, namely three hundred millionths.

Excessive emissions of toxic gases perchlorethylene also attracted complaints from the public, the EPA last year received a total of six complaints about odor nuisance laundries, in 1998 there were eleven. In 1995 the Department conducted an informal survey and found that dry cleaners collar near places perchlorethylene concentration higher than the air content ranging from tens to hundreds of times, but Lin Guolin think that the public need not worry too much about.

For the industry to replace the specified period more than half of the total investment cost of the new dry-cleaning machines, will be a heavy burden. Industries have government requires low interest loans, but the government's response to the final legislative control is disappointing and is expected after the end of the grace period will be two cases, one shop after another closed down, one whole row drastic increases will costs to consumers.

Employees working in the laundry more often than the general public exposure to perchlorethylene, operating for 28 years Jimmy laundry mirror Yao said the line has been circulating rumors dry oil is carcinogenic, but never worried about their health will be affected . He said that the dry cleaning process itself does not come into contact with dry gases liberated oil, and dry cleaning machines will only exhaust gases evaporate outside the shop, I believe in the shop working and the inhalation of harmful gases.

He pointed out, dry cleaning machines generally available on more than a decade, and its on-site dry cleaning machine only took three years, if it must be replaced will be very wasteful. Currently, the new dry-cleaning machines are worth nearly 30 million yuan, for the "small business", 30 million yuan is a heavy burden in terms of the laundry. He hoped that the Government allows the shop there is a need to replace the old machine when purchased new environmentally friendly dry-cleaning machines, rather than "knife machine" to force all the laundry "abandoning old and welcome."

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