Healthrisks caused by anti-freeze propylene glycol

heinbloed

The Karstadt University of Sweden has published a study showing a clear correlation between the presence of PGEs (for example the solar anti freeze substance propylene glycol) and health problems with children in contact with the substance.

See

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/205159.php

Joey the lips

Cool...but forgive my iggnorence....I dont intend to let my kids suck antifreeze...

I cannot figure out what you wish to discuss here.

heinbloed

.I dont intend to let my kids suck antifreeze...

No, not necessary. Letting them breath the traces of anti-freeze would do enough demage to them....

The sale and usage of this anti-freeze is not controlled. Plumbers simply dump it into sewers, for example when re-filling a ST system. It ends up in the ground water, in rivers. It has a hormon-like effect on living organisms similar to the phtalates already banned in plastic pipes.

As we know in the plumbing trade diffusion of substances into the air, esp. when these substances are pressurised as for example in a ST system, does happen through the pipes,sealants, through the EPDM membrane of the expansion barrel.
Spillages of solar fluid will evaporate for many years due to it's high boiling point. Polluting entire homes, making them uninhabitable for humans.

As far as I know propylene glycol is now investigated under the REEACH program. It's could be soon banned since it is a hormone-like substance.

How would the ST industry react in such a case?

Read the articel again, or try to get hold of the study itself. The children researched in the study came from families where anti-freeze wasn't served for dinner. It was served 24h/day via the air. They breathed it...

Micky Dolenz

That is quite interesting. You can be sure that we are using chemicals in our construction that will do what asbestos did, 30 years on.

JohnnieK

Lets stop installing solar panels until they come up with a safer solution. In a months time scientists will probably come out with another statement saying that it causes no harm. MAPP gas used for soldering pipe fittings is a carsenagenic but we still have to use it to get the temperature up on the pipe and fitting to melt the solder.

heinbloed

Johnniek wrote:

Lets stop installing solar panels until they come up with a safer solution.

Well, most ST systems installed on a worldwide scale do not use anti-freeze in the first place. That anti-freeze is obsolete in Irish conditions when using wet ST collectors is a proven fact. My collectors works since 3 years without freezing,bursting.


The comparrison between long term/live long exposure of children to glycol vapour in closed rooms and the short term exposure to soldering gas of a professional healthy adult in a well ventilated space is not suitable I think.