National Clothesline

What about perc and Parkinson’s?

While perc continues as the primary solvent among cleaners in the United States, it is also remains a primary target of environmentalists, regulators and the media who have dubbed it “likely human carcinogen” and found it at fault for polluting water, ground and air. Now another question has been raised about perc, which was one of six common solvents in a study that considered potential risk factors for Parkinson’s disease.

The study examined 99 pairs of identical and fraternal twins where one in each set suffered from the incurable brain disorder. For a scientific study, twins can be useful because they have identical or similar gene structures, which helps to eliminate certain risk factors. Experts examined the test subjects for lifetime hobbies and jobs in an effort to determine their exposure to six solvents, including trichloroethylene (TCE), perchloroethylene and carbon tetrachloride.

The study found that the occurrence of Parkinson’s was six times more likely for those who worked with TCE and ten times more likely with those work worked with perc. While those numbers seem alarming, they need to be kept in context. A correlation does not necessarily equate to a causation. Basically, it means there is justifiable reason to conduct another, more in-depth study.

However, that didn’t stop stories about the study from making the rounds in the media and on the Internet. One important thing to remember is that whatever you feel about the possible link between perc and Parkinson’s, there is insufficient evidence to be certain. One thing to keep in mind is that people are exposed to countless chemicals in their lives and it is nearly impossible to pinpoint the effect of each one, especially if problems doesn’t show up for decades. And that leads to another point. Decades ago, exposure to these solvents occurred at much higher levels than today. Generations of technological improvements along with safety and efficiency standards have greatly reduced exposure.

With that said, it’s always wise to limit exposure to any chemical. And it also is wise to view findings of new studies critically, especially when they merely suggest that more studies are needed in order to obtain a better understanding.

A chance to make a difference

Perhaps one cleaner can make a difference, but more likely, it will take hundreds who all are willing to work together for one cause. The result could actually mean a huge difference, at least that is what the Drycleaning and Laundry Institute hopes. Recently, the association announced a new nationwide hanger recycling program. DLI has called on its members to work together and reach a goal of recycling 10 million hangers in 2012, which comes out to about 300 tons worth overall. Just to give you an idea, that’s about 150,000 pounds more than the weight of all of the copper and steel used in the 150-foot tall Statue of Liberty. In other words, it’s a heck of a lot.

Then again, so is the amount of wasted hangers in this country. Every year Americans discard literally millions of pounds of wire hangers in landfills even though a vast majority of those are actually recyclable. The numbers are daunting, to be sure, but that is precisely why DLI’s latest effort is absolutely necessary and should be applauded and supported. It will open a lot of eyes to a problem that needs to be addressed.

It is also a situation where everybody wins. It’s a clever way to try to improve the environment. It doesn’t cost cleaners anything. Also, it should generate quite a bit of positive publicity for an industry that usually has more than its share of negative press. Member cleaners need only to sign up and reuse hangers whenever possible and recycle unusable ones in local steel scrapyards. Participants will also be expected to track the hangers by an estimated count and keep a tally of the scrap by weight. Meanwhile, DLI will help provide publicity support on a local level. When the final total is calculated at the end of the year, the association plans to report those figures to the national media.

Considering that many conscientious cleaners already engage in hanger recycling programs, participation from members is a no-brainer. It cuts down on the cost of buying new hangers. It gives customers a place to take their hangers for recycling. It demonstrates that the drycleaning industry cares about the same things their customers care about. But, perhaps the biggest reason to take part is that it is simply the right thing to do. It can actually help make a significant difference — about 300 tons of it or more each year.



								National Clothesline






						What about perc and Parkinson’s? While perc continues as the primary solvent among cleaners in the United States, it is also remains a primary target of environmentalists, regulators and the media who have dubbed it “likely human carcinogen” and found it at fault for polluting water, ground and air. Now another question has been raised about perc, which was one of six common solvents in a study that considered potential risk factors for Parkinson’s disease. The study examined 99 pairs of identical and fraternal twins where one in each set suffered from the incurable brain disorder. For a scientific study, twins can be useful because they have identical or similar gene structures, which helps to eliminate certain risk factors. Experts examined the test subjects for lifetime hobbies and jobs in an effort to determine their exposure to six solvents, including trichloroethylene (TCE), perchloroethylene and carbon tetrachloride. The study found that the occurrence of Parkinson’s was six times more likely for those who worked with TCE and ten times more likely with those work worked with perc. While those numbers seem alarming, they need to be kept in context. A correlation does not necessarily equate to a causation. Basically, it means there is justifiable reason to conduct another, more in-depth study. However, that didn’t stop stories about the study from making the rounds in the media and on the Internet. One important thing to remember is that whatever you feel about the possible link between perc and Parkinson’s, there is insufficient evidence to be certain. One thing to keep in mind is that people are exposed to countless chemicals in their lives and it is nearly impossible to pinpoint the effect of each one, especially if problems doesn’t show up for decades. And that leads to another point. Decades ago, exposure to these solvents occurred at much higher levels than today. Generations of technological improvements along with safety and efficiency standards have greatly reduced exposure. With that said, it’s always wise to limit exposure to any chemical. And it also is wise to view findings of new studies critically, especially when they merely suggest that more studies are needed in order to obtain a better understanding. A chance to make a difference Perhaps one cleaner can make a difference, but more likely, it will take hundreds who all are willing to work together for one cause. The result could actually mean a huge difference, at least that is what the Drycleaning and Laundry Institute hopes. Recently, the association announced a new nationwide hanger recycling program. DLI has called on its members to work together and reach a goal of recycling 10 million hangers in 2012, which comes out to about 300 tons worth overall. Just to give you an idea, that’s about 150,000 pounds more than the weight of all of the copper and steel used in the 150-foot tall Statue of Liberty. In other words, it’s a heck of a lot. Then again, so is the amount of wasted hangers in this country. Every year Americans discard literally millions of pounds of wire hangers in landfills even though a vast majority of those are actually recyclable. The numbers are daunting, to be sure, but that is precisely why DLI’s latest effort is absolutely necessary and should be applauded and supported. It will open a lot of eyes to a problem that needs to be addressed. It is also a situation where everybody wins. It’s a clever way to try to improve the environment. It doesn’t cost cleaners anything. Also, it should generate quite a bit of positive publicity for an industry that usually has more than its share of negative press. Member cleaners need only to sign up and reuse hangers whenever possible and recycle unusable ones in local steel scrapyards. Participants will also be expected to track the hangers by an estimated count and keep a tally of the scrap by weight. Meanwhile, DLI will help provide publicity support on a local level. When the final total is calculated at the end of the year, the association plans to report those figures to the national media. Considering that many conscientious cleaners already engage in hanger recycling programs, participation from members is a no-brainer. It cuts down on the cost of buying new hangers. It gives customers a place to take their hangers for recycling. It demonstrates that the drycleaning industry cares about the same things their customers care about. But, perhaps the biggest reason to take part is that it is simply the right thing to do. It can actually help make a significant difference — about 300 tons of it or more each year.