UMass Lowell Toxics Use Reduction Institute Laboratory

TURI Lab Monthly Update of Projects – June 2011

End User Testing
• Sign manufacturer – Project on hold due to space restrictions. For now they have no room to put in new cleaning line. They are still using lab as a resource, asked about green certifications recently.
• LED manufacturer – Trying to get two new engineers up to speed in their new jobs. Will revisit in August.
• Electromagnetic Materials – Met with them. They were interested in using tert-butyl acetate as a cleaner. They like it and saw it was VOC exempt by the EPA. Waiting on the response from DEP.
• Metal working facility – Working on meeting with them on project moving them from nPB to aqueous. They haven’t got back but all indications are that they are willing and ready. Also trying to see if we can do a case study with them, possibly a matching grant and/or a student intern
• Bicycle Manufacturer: - Sent cleaned parts and samples to company. Called this week and Skip was going to check with his welder and see how things were going.
• Remanufacturing-repair facility – they are testing a new cleaner and wanted some guidance and possibly help piloting this summer. They also have an issue with a customer of a distributor of theirs that want their milling machines painted differently. They want the machines “prettier” and to look like other machines they have. They are being asked to use an isocyante based paint system.
• Microelectronics – Still trying to work out a DEP final ok on their cleaning process. Have a call in to the closest DEP regional office.
• Microelectronics – gong to visit Ed Gomes and talk about their pallet cleaning. Working on a visit date.
• Sheriffs office – visiting mid July to look at alternatives to their laundry detergents and possibly some sanitizers. Met them at a MAFMA training.

Grants
• Maid Review project –sent final recommendations in early June. Sent testing proposal for disinfection testing evaluations
• SHE seed grant proposal for Cleaning in Home Health Care. The proposed project will develop methods and collect pilot data to evaluate the health and environmental impacts of the use of cleaning products in the home healthcare (HHC) setting.

Small Contract Work
Ongoing or Completed
• Testing equipment for steam vapor cleaning. Evaluating range of applications for cleaning and disinfecting.
• No Touch cleaning system – soil removal testing (and maybe microbial testing) done on using a no touch system facility unit. Have unit and will be finalizing project scope.
• Vacuum cleaning evaluation- call to discuss next steps of vacuum vs. dust mop comparison.
• Formulation assistance – Provide product formulation assistance to company for cleaning products

In the Works
• Green Seal GS 37 testing for natural cleaning products
• Discussion for floor cleaning process evaluations. Will include ergonomic evaluation.
• Discussion on working with lab to create a “consumer report” like partnership where the lab would provide testing evaluations for their products and a place to direct consumers for comparisons to other products via the CleanerSolutions Site
• All purpose, glass and bathroom commercial line testing

Database Web Tool
• DIY site – reworking layout to make focus on performance with EHS as lesser focus (currently other way around)
• Collecting data for P2OASys updates. Researching ways to update programming

Disinfection Testing
• Activated water – still ongoing
• Steam vapor evaluations started
• Working on summer plan for testing – DIY recipes for disinfection, “greener” disinfectants

Do-it-Yourself Cleaning Recipes
• See Database Web Tool update
• Student has been working on videos for recipe making and performance testing. Working on gathering new recipes

Outreach
• Mass Facilities training in Westfield with Lynn Rose and Marcia Deegler. Reschedule of one in December. Talk of more trainings and working with Tom Tagean at MAFMA on equipment for their “Tool Shed”,
• Working on new Lab and possibly TCE, metal finishing or HHS help brochure
• Connecting with OTA on how to work more closely together, thinking about aligning site visit write ups
• Greening your facility fact sheet wrapping up.
• Webinar for Nebraska Business Development Center (July). 45 minute presentation on solvent substitution and how the CleanerSolutions database can help.
• Asked to speak at IEHA meeting October 18th with Allen Rathey

TURI Projects
• TURI Web redesign
• Working on a plan for outreach to a list of companies thought to be using TCE by OTA and TURI LAB
• Reviewed PCE alternatives report

Lab General
• Testing old equipment to check on working order
• Database project of checking vendor contact information

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