HAND SOAPS AND TRICLOSAN

Antibacterial Chemical Raises Safety Issues
TRICLOSAN:

The maker of Dial Complete hand soap says that it kills more germs than any other brand. But is it safe?
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That question has federal regulators, consumer advocates and soap manufacturers locked in a battle over the active ingredient in Dial Complete and many other antibacterial soaps, a chemical known as triclosan.
The Food and Drug Administration is reviewing the safety of the chemical, which was created more than 40 years ago as a surgical scrub for hospitals. Triclosan is now in a range of consumer products, including soaps, kitchen cutting boards and even a best-selling toothpaste, Colgate Total. It is so prevalent that a survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found the chemical present in the urine of 75 percent of Americans over the age of 5.
Several studies have shown that triclosan may alter hormone regulation in laboratory animals or cause antibiotic resistance, and some consumer groups and members of Congress want it banned in antiseptic products like hand soap. The F.D.A. has already said that soap with triclosan is no more effective than washing with ordinary soap and water, a finding that manufacturers dispute.
The F.D.A. was to announce the results of its review several months ago, but now says the timing is uncertain and unlikely until next year. The Environmental Protection Agency is also looking into the safety of triclosan.
The outcome of the federal inquiries poses a significant risk to the makers of antimicrobial and antibacterial hand soaps, which represent about half of the $750 million market for liquid hand soaps in the United States, according to the market research firm Kline & Company.
Many of those soaps use triclosan as the active ingredient and say so on the label. Dial Complete is the fifth-best-selling liquid hand soap in the nation, according to data collected from most major stores (except for Wal-Mart) by SymphonyIRI Group, a Chicago-based market research firm.
Richard Theiler, senior vice president for research and development at Henkel, the German-based manufacturer of Dial Complete, said there was no real evidence showing that triclosan was dangerous for humans. He also said that several recent studies had proved the effectiveness of triclosan in killing germs, and that those studies had been submitted to the federal regulators.
“It has been used now in products safely for decades,” Mr. Theiler said.
But as consumer groups have campaigned against triclosan, some consumer product manufacturers have removed it and substituted less controversial ingredients. Reckitt Benckiser removed triclosan from three face washes, for instance. And citing “changing consumer preferences,” Colgate-Palmolive replaced triclosan with lactic acid in Palmolive Antibacterial Dish Liquid, and its Softsoap liquid hand soap has been reformulated without the chemical.
Colgate, however, continues to use triclosan in its Colgate Total toothpaste because it has been proved to fight gingivitis, a claim approved by the F.D.A.
“The safety and efficacy of Colgate Total toothpaste is fully supported by over 70 clinical studies in over 10,000 patients,” the company said in a statement.
Scientists have raised concerns about triclosan for decades. Last year, Representative Edward J. Markey, Democrat from Massachusetts, pressured the F.D.A. to write regulations for antiseptic products like hand soap, including the use of triclosan. The process of creating regulations was started more than three decades ago, but has been repeatedly delayed. In the meantime, Mr. Markey has called for a ban on triclosan in hand soaps, in products that come in contact with food and in products marketed to children.
The concern is based on recent studies about the possible health impacts of triclosan, which the F.D.A. said, in a Feb. 23, 2010, letter to Mr. Markey, “raise valid concerns about the effect of repetitive daily human exposure to these antiseptic ingredients.”
Several have shown that triclosan disrupts the thyroid hormone in frogs and rats, while others have shown that triclosan alters the sex hormones of laboratory animals. Others studies have shown that triclosan can cause some bacteria to become resistant to antibiotics.
Brian Sansoni, spokesman for the American Cleaning Institute, said the evidence against triclosan was hardly convincing and that the chemical had been used safely in consumer products and in hospitals for decades. He said there was no evidence that triclosan caused antibiotic resistance.

CRITICAL HAND DISINFECTION

NEWS SERVICES

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News Release
For immediate use March 10, 2005 -- No. 94
Study: soap and water work best
in ridding hands of disease viruses
By DAVID WILLIAMSON
UNC News Services
CHAPEL HILL – The largest, most comprehensive study ever done comparing the effectiveness of hand hygiene products shows that nothing works better in getting rid of disease-causing viruses than simply washing one’s hands with good old-fashioned soap and water.
Among the viruses soapy hand washing flushes down the drain is the one that causes the common cold. Other removable viruses cause hepatitis A, acute gastroenteritis and a host of other illnesses.
A separate key finding was that waterless handwipes only removed roughly 50 percent of bacteria from volunteer subjects’ hands.
"We studied the efficacy of 14 different hand hygiene agents in reducing bacteria and viruses from the hands," said Emily E. Sickbert-Bennett, a public health epidemiologist with the University of North Carolina Health Care System and the UNC School of Public Health. "No other studies have measured the effectiveness in removing both bacteria and viruses at the same time."
For the first time, too, the UNC researchers tested what happened when people cleaned their hands for only 10 seconds, Sickbert-Bennett said. That represented the average length of time researchers observed busy health-care personnel washing or otherwise disinfecting their hands at work.
"Previous studies have had people clean their hands for 30 seconds or so, but that’s not what health-care workers usually do in practice, and we wanted to test the products under realistic conditions," she said.
Anti-microbial agents were best at reducing bacteria on hands, but waterless, alcohol-based agents had variable and sometimes poor effects, becoming less effective after multiple washes, Sickbert-Bennett said. For removing viruses from the hands, physical removal with soap and water was most effective since some viruses are hardy and relatively resistant to disinfection.
A report on the findings appears in the March issue of the American Journal of Infection Control. Other authors are Drs. William A. Rutala and David J. Weber, professors of medicine and epidemiology at the UNC schools of medicine and public health; Dr. Mark D. Sobsey, professor of environmental sciences and engineering in public health; and medical technologist Maria F. Gergen-Teague. Dr. Gregory P. Samsa, a Duke University biostatistician, helped analyze the data.
"These findings are important because health-care associated infections rank in the top five causes of death, with an estimated 90,000 deaths each year in the United States," Rutala said. "Hand hygiene agents have been shown to reduce the incidence of health-care associated infections, and a variety of hand hygiene agents are now available with different active ingredients and application methods.
"Our study showed that the anti-microbial hand washing agents were significantly more effective in reducing bacteria than the alcohol-based handrubs and waterless handwipes," he said. "Our study also showed that, at a short exposure time of 10 seconds, all agents with the exception of handwipes demonstrated a 90 percent reduction of bacteria on the hands."
Alcohol-based handrubs were generally ineffective in demonstrating a significant reduction of a relatively resistant virus, Rutala said. While the use of alcohol-based handrubs will continue to be an important infection control measure, it is important to recommend or require traditional hand washing with soap and water throughout each day.
Researchers first had volunteers clean their hands and then contaminated their hands with Serratia marcescens and MS2 bacteriophage. Those are, respectively, a harmless bacterium and virus comparable to, and substituted for, disease-causing organisms. After that, scientists had the subjects clean their hands with various agents and measured how much of the bacteria and virus remained afterwards.
Sixty-two adults volunteered for and participated in the study. Investigators performed five evaluations on each of the 14 agents. The N.C. Statewide Program for Infection Control and Epidemiology supported the research.


Background
Health care-associated infections most commonly result from person-to-person transmission via the hands of health care workers.
Methods
We studied the efficacy of hand hygiene agents (n = 14) following 10-second applications to reduce the level of challenge organisms (Serratia marcescens and MS2 bacteriophage) from the hands of healthy volunteers using the ASTM-E-1174-94 test method.
Results
The highest log10 reductions of S marcescens were achieved with agents containing chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG), triclosan, benzethonium chloride, and the controls, tap water alone and nonantimicrobial soap and water (episode 1 of hand hygiene, 1.60-2.01; episode 10, 1.60-3.63). Handwipes but not alcohol-based handrubs were significantly inferior from these agents after a single episode of hand hygiene, but both groups were significantly inferior after 10 episodes. After a single episode of hand hygiene, alcohol/silver iodide, CHG, triclosan, and benzethonium chloride were similar to the controls in reduction of MS2, but, in general, handwipes and alcohol-based handrubs showed significantly lower efficacy. After 10 episodes, only benzethonium chloride (1.33) performed as well as the controls (1.59-1.89) in the reduction of MS2.
Conclusions
Antimicrobial handwashing agents were the most efficacious in bacterial removal, whereas waterless agents showed variable efficacy. Alcohol-based handrubs compared with other products demonstrated better efficacy after a single episode of hand hygiene than after 10 episodes. Effective hand hygiene for high levels of viral contamination with a nonenveloped virus was best achieved by physical removal with a nonantimicrobial soap or tap water alone.

ECOLAB'S NEW MOVE

World News and Views :: Top of the News

Ecolab to Acquire Nalco for $8.1 Billion
8:41 AM MDT | July 20, 2011 | Natasha Alperowicz

Ecolab has agreed to acquire Nalco for $8.1 billion, in a bid to extend its leading franchise in industrial and institutional cleaning and sanitizing products and services into water treatment. Nalco is the world's leading water treatment company, offering water management services focused on industrial, energy, and institutional market segments with sales of $4.3 billion last year.

Nalco shareholders will have the option to receive 0.7005 shares of Ecolab common stock or $38.80/share in cash subject to proration so that the overall consideration paid to Nalco shareholders will be approximately 70% in Ecolab shares and 30% cash. The stock component of the deal will represent a tax-free exchange, the companies say. Ecolab will issue approximately 68.9 million shares of Ecolab stock and pay approximately $1.6 billion in cash to Nalco shareholders. This represents a fully diluted offer value for Nalco's equity of $5.4 billion plus $2.7 billion in Nalco debt.

The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter, subject to closing conditions and regulatory clearance, as well as approval from Ecolab and Nalco shareholders.

The transaction combines Nalco's leading positions in water and energy services with Ecolab's strength in the food and beverage, healthcare, and institutional markets, says J. Erik Fyrwald, Nalco chairman and CEO. "Moreover, this transaction delivers substantial value to our shareholders through an immediate premium to Nalco's share price as well as the opportunity to participate in the upside potential of the combined company," he says.

"Through our participation in the water sector and our strategic planning work, we identified water management as a key future growth segment for us given its growth characteristics and importance to our customers," says Douglas Baker Jr., Ecolab chairman and CEO. "Nalco's water, and oil and gas services and markets in particular represent excellent long-term growth potential as the world deals with the quality, cost, and availability of those key natural resources."

Ecolab has sales of $6 billion/year and employs more than 26,000. It is the global leader in cleaning, sanitizing, food safety, and infection prevention products and services. Nalco is focused on industrial water, energy, and air applications. The company employs 12,000. Ecolab would be the latest in a succession of owners of Nalco in recent years. The company was acquired by Suez of France in 1999, followed by a buyout consortium comprising Blackstone, Apollo Management, and Goldman Sachs. Nalco returned to public ownership in 2004.

EASY GEL FORMULATION FOR AIR FRESHENER

MICROEMULSION GEL
% by weight
Part A
MINERAL OIL 38.0
OLEIC ACID 9.0
Part B
TRIETHANOLAMINE 3.0
PROPYLENE GLYCOL 5.0
T-DET® N-9.5 6.0
WATER 39.0
100.0
MIXING:
PART A: Mineral Oil – Heat to 120°F
PART B: Triethanolamine, Propylene Glycol, N-9.5 & Water – Heat to
120°F
S L O W L Y add Part B to Part A while mixing
*VISCOSITY ACHIEVED AS THE PRODUCT COOLS*
To lower the set point you can add salt or additional Propylene Glycol

BED BUGS CAN TRANSFER BACTERIA

According to an article scheduled to be released in the June 2011 issue of Energing Infectious Diseases, a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention public health journal, bedbugs were reportedly refound to carry Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Vancomyclin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE). Although bedbugs have not been shown to spread disease to date, Canadian researchers have now proven that they at least carry bacteria known to cause these sometimes hard-to-treat infections.

At this time, there is no clear evidence that the bedbugs have spread the MRSA or VRE germs they were carrying, but according to Dr. Marc Romney, a medical biologist with St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, “this is an intriguing finding” that needs to be further researched.

Five bedbugs were analyzed. MRSA was found in three of the bugs and VRE in two.

Romney also noted that the hospital is in an area of Vancouver that has recently seen a “boom in bedbugs” and a significant increase in MRSA cases.

Bedbugs are about 7 mm long, wingless and reddish brown in color and feed on the blood of their victims. Because they are so small, they are often hard to detect, and the situation is made worse because they commonly live in the cracks and crevices of mattresses.

In the past couple of years, finding ways to eradicate bedbugs has garnered considerable attention in the professional cleaning industry.

For instance, Michael Schaffer, president of Tornado Industries and a senior executive with Tacony’s Commercial Floor Care division, has authored several industry articles on the subject. He has also published a white paper, Effective Treatment of Bedbug Infestations, which suggests ways the jan/san industry can help eradicate bedbugs and do so in a more environmentally responsible manner.

“The study does not indicate exactly how the bedbugs picked up the bacteria, but this is definitely a concern,” says Schaffer. “In the past, bedbug bites were mostly bothersome. While more research is required, [this study] makes the bites far more serious.”

SEE CONVERSION OF ALGAE INTO OIL AND FUEL

GO TO : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPT-houUjJI&feature=related

CONTROL NATURAL DE LA PRESION ARTERIAL

Guia para Regular la Presion Arterial




La hipertensión esencial por lo general es asintomática hasta que se presentan complicaciones. Los síntomas dependen entonces de los órganos afectados.


Los profesionales de la salud también pueden recomendar modificaciones en el estilo de vida, como una reducción de peso moderada y una disminución en el consumo de sal. Aunque la hipertensión esencial no se cura, el tratamiento puede modificar su curso y reducir el riesgo de complicaciones.



Suplementos nutricionales


Coenzima Q10 (CoQ10) (50 mg dos veces al día durante al menos diez semanas): Se ha visto en varias pruebas clínicas que la CoQ10 reduce considerablemente la presión sanguínea en personas con hipertensión.
Aceite de pescado (10 gramos de aceite de pescado al día): El EPA y el ADH, los ácidos grasos omega-3 del aceite de pescado, bajan la presión sanguínea, según un análisis de los resultados de 31 estudios.
Potasio (Para personas que no toman diuréticos ahorradores de potasio): La mejor manera de consumir potasio es comer más fruta, que contiene más mineral que los suplementos de potasio. Sin embargo, la fruta contiene tanto potasio que las personas que toman medicamentos ahorradores de potasio (como ocurre con algunos hipertensos) pueden terminar con un exceso de potasio si comen demasiada fruta al día. Por tanto, las personas que tomen diuréticos ahorradores de potasio deben consultar con su médico antes de aumentar su consumo de fruta.
Calcio (De 800 a 1,500 mg diarios): Sólo pueden esperarse resultados modestos.
Fibra
Magnesio (Para personas que tomen diuréticos): De 350 a 500 mg diarios.

Cambios en el estilo de vida



Dejar de fumar: Fumar es especialmente nocivo para las personas con hipertensión. La combinación de hipertensión y tabaquismo aumenta el riesgo de padecer enfermedades cardiacas y morir por ello.
Consumir alcohol con moderación: El consumo de tres o más bebidas alcohólicas al día incrementa la presión sanguínea en proporción a la cantidad de alcohol que se consuma.
Ejercicio: El ejercicio diario puede bajar la presión significativamente. Un programa de ejercicios de 12 semanas de Tai Chi chino fue casi tan efectivo como el ejercicio aeróbico para reducir la presión sanguínea en personas mayores sedentarias con hipertensión.
Pérdida de peso: Muchas personas con hipertensión tienen sobrepeso. Bajar de peso puede reducir la presión significativamente en pacientes que son tanto hipertensos como obesos.

Efectos de la hipertensión arterial

Aparato electrónico para la toma de la tensión arterialLa hipertensión arterial, o tensión alta, es un factor importante en la aparición de problemas renales en personas diabéticas. Tanto los antecedentes familiares de hipertensión como su presencia misma parecen aumentar las probabilidades de que el paciente presente una enfermedad renal. La hipertensión también acelera la evolución de la enfermedad renal cuando ésta ya está presente.

La Nueva clasificación del JNC VII establece nuevos valores para la clasificación de la hipertensión; los mismos son: Normal: Presión arterial sistólica = <120(mmHg); Presión arterial diastólica = <80(mmHg), Pre-Hipertensión: Presión arterial sistólica = 120-139; Presión arterial diastólica = 80-89.Hipertensión estadio 1: Presión arterial sistólica 140-159; Presión arterial diastólica 90-99. Hipertensión estadio 2: Presión arterial sistólica >160; arterial diastólica >90. [1]. Estos cambios, que reflejan una disminución cada vez mas progresiva en los valores, se producen debido a la observación de la morbi-mortalidad en pacientes con valores de presión, considerados anteriormente como normales (140-90)

En 1997, el Instituto Nacional del Estudio del Corazón, los Pulmones y la Sangre (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) emitió nuevas metas de tensión arterial específicamente para diabéticos y para personas con insuficiencia renal en el Sexto Informe del Comité Nacional Conjunto para la Prevención, Detección, Evaluación y Tratamiento de la Hipertensión Arterial (Sixth Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure, JNC VI). En este informe, el comité recomienda que las personas diabéticas mantengan su tensión arterial en menos de 130/85 y que las que sufren insuficiencia renal (proteinuria mayor de 1 g en 24 h) la mantengan en menos de 125/75.

La hipertensión se puede considerar no sólo como una causa de la enfermedad renal sino como resultado del daño ocasionado por la misma. A medida que la enfermedad renal avanza, los cambios físicos de los riñones provocan un aumento de la tensión arterial. De esta manera se crea una espiral peligrosa, en la que se combinan la hipertensión y los factores que la producen. La detección y el tratamiento precoces de la hipertensión, incluso de los casos leves, son de suma importancia para las personas diabéticas.

Además de los problemas renales produce alteraciones a nivel de la microvasculatura y macrovasculatura de todo el organismo, produciendo reprercusiones a nivel general.


Alimentos para Rebajar la presion arterial

Entre los principales alimentos que deberian estar presentes en la alimentacion de los enfermos de hipertension mencionariamos los siguientes:


El ajo: Uno o dos dientes diarios de ajo en ensaladas ayudara a rebajar la tensión arterial y a reducir el colesterol . Las reducciones son muy significativas al cabo de dos o tres meses de comerlo.
El tomate: Contiene GABA ( gammaaminoácidos butiricos) especialmente adecuados para rebajar la presión arterial.
El apio: La ingestión habitual de este alimento produce una disminución de la hipertensión. Resulta muy recomendable comer unos trozos de esta hortaliza diariamente en las ensaladas.
Zanahoria: Rica en vitamina C y en betacarotenos, disminuyen el colesterol, previenen la arteriosclerosis y constituyen uno de los principales alimentos para proteger nuestras arterias.
La col, el bróculi y las coles de bruselas: Todas estas hortalizas de la familia de las crucíferas, constituyen estupendos antioxidantes que previenen la degeneración arterial y ayudan a mejorar la salud de las enfermedades vasculares.



Acerca de la dieta

El sodio es un mineral que, aunque se necesita en pequeñas cantidades en el organismo, juega un papel muy importante en el buen funcionamiento del cuerpo. Los requerimientos diarios en adultos es de 500 mg y en niños de 225 a 500 mg.

Una dieta restringida en sodio ayuda en el manejo de varias complicaciones como son:

Hipertensión

Afecciones cardiácas
Retención de líquidos


El sodio interviene en la regulación de líquidos en el organismo; un exceso de éste provca retención de agua, así como ganancia de peso y/o presión arterial alta.
Generalmente uno consume mayor cantidad de sodio que la que realmente se necesita; un adulto llega a consumir de 4 a 5 gramos de sodio, que equivale a 2 cucharaditas de sal. Recordemos que el gusto por la comida salada es una conducta aprendida; por esta razón el proceso de ajuste de alimentos bajos en sal, tardará algo de tiempo.

La sal añadida a los alimentos no es la única fuente de sodio, existen por lo menos 60 diferentes aditivos o conservadores que lo contienen y que generalmente se añaden en la industrialización y preparación de productos comestibles.
Una dieta saludable trata de reducir el consumo de sal, entre 1/2 a 1 cucharadita al día. Para poder lograrlo es conveniente seguir con la dieta establecida y tener de referencia todos aquellos alimentos restringidos en este plan nutricio.
A continuación se detalla una guía de alimentación que debe tomarse en cuenta para llevar mejor el plan de alimentación.


Fuentes de Sodio



Productos para cocinar: bicarbonato de sodio así como polvo para hornear
Sazonadores: sal, salsa de soya, sal de ajo, sal de cebolla, sal de apio, ablandador de carne y vino de cocina.
Aditivos y conservadores: glutamato monosódico, fosfatos de sodio, caseinato de sodio, ascorbato de sodio y nitrato de sodio.
Medicinas: antiácidos, laxantes, pastillas para dormir y aspirinas
Cómida rápida
Otros: pasta de dientes y enjuague bucal (no deben ser tragados)


Alimentos Permitidos y Prohibidos
CARNE, PESCADO, POLLO, HUEVOS Y QUESOS
PERMITIDOS PROHIBIDOS
Cortes magros de carne
Cualquier carne enlatada y salada, así como carnes ahumadas y curadas
Pescado fresco y enlatado que no contenga sodio
Embutidos como: jamón, pepperoni, salami, tocino, salchichas, etc.
Quesos procesados con poca sal como el queso cottage
Pescado enlatado: anchoas, caviar, sardinas, atun, salmón, etc.
Huevo fresco Mariscos como almejas, cangrejo, ostiones, langosta, camaron, etc.
Leche entera, descremada y semidescremada Quesos como: tipo americano,cheddar, suizo, provolone, feta, queso-crema, mozzarella ricotta, holandés, manchego, Chihuahua y Oaxaca
Leguminosas cocidas sin sal
Botanas y entradas congeladas, enlatadas o empaquetadas, como pizzas, pastas, etc.
CEREALES
Pan de caja, muffins, rollos o pan preparados con polvo para hornear bajo en sodio
Galletas saladas como pretzels
Galletas y palomitas sin sal
Frituras, palomitas y papas con sal
Cereales cocinados como avena
Creales de caja, especialmente los que tienen la leyenda “fácil de preparar”
Tortillas de maíz y harina
Arroz o pasta listas para preparar
Cereales de caja integrales
Productos enlatados, instantáneos y congelados
Papas frescas
Fríjol, garbanzo, haba, arroz o espaguetti sin sal
FRUTAS
Toda la fruta fresca, congelada, enlatada o en jugos, siempre y cuando no contengan sal o consevadores. Frutas secas preparadas con sal o conservadores
VERDURAS
Verdura fresca o congelada Jugos enlatados
Jugos de verdura naturales Verduras en conserva que hayan sido preparados con sal o similares
Cualquier verudra en salmuera sin sal
LÁCTEOS
Leche entera, semidescremada, descremada y deslactosada Leches preparadas con chocolate en polvo y leche evaporada
Yogurt natural y con frutas

MICELÁNEOS
Sopas y guisados preparados sin sal ni conservadores. Sopa y guisados enlatados, deshidratados o empacados.
Aderezos y gravies comerciales.

Haciendo ejercicios

Las personas que no hacen ejercicio físico asumen el doble de riesgo en comparación con las personas activas. Con la falta de movimiento el organismo está menos preparado para adaptarse a un esfuerzo repentino.
Por lo tanto, el ejercicio físico tiene muchos beneficios, como por ejemplo:


Mejora y aumenta la función del corazón.
Retrasa el envejecimiento prematuro.
Disminuye la presión sanguínea.
Combate el exceso de peso.
Disminuye las grasas de la sangre. Aumenta la efectividad del colesterol protector (HDL).

El ejercicio practicado regularmente, no necesariamente debe ser un deporte. Aunque es considerado el ideal, también existen ejercicios que sirven y son eficaces, como por ejemplo: salir a caminar o jardinear.
Puede caminar una hora diaria, distribuidos en media hora en la mañana y media hora en la tarde, en forma regular y mantenida.



El tratamiento natural de la presión arterial baja, a base de remedios caseros, te permitirá recuperarte de una baja de presión y volver a sentirte bien. Sin embargo, ten en cuenta, que es importante que se

investiguen las causas de tu episodio de hipotensión, por lo que no debes dejar de consultar con tu médico, especialmente, si las bajadas de presión se repiten a menudo.

Uno de los remedios caseros más sencillos y efectivos para subir la presión arterial es el jugo de
remolacha cruda. Simplemente, licúa una remolacha con un poco de agua y bebe dos tazas al día del jugo que obtengas. Quizás el tratamiento más práctico y rápido, ante una bajada de presión arterial sea recurrir a la sal. Diluye una cucharada en un vaso de agua y bébelo, para salir al instante de un episodio de hipotensión. Otra posibilidad es tomar agua tibia con canela.

Además, puedes preparar un remedio natural para la presión arterial baja, elaborando una infusión con tres cucharadas de raíz de jengibre rallada y una pizca de pimienta de Cayena, por taza de agua. Hierve durante algunos minutos y luego deja reposar, antes de colar.

BEER CHEMISTRY

Are brown bottles better for beer?


Beer is typically made from water, malted grains, yeast and hops, which combined to produce more than 600 volatile compounds. These chemical reactions continue to occur as the beer ages. And as with most chemical reactions, they are affected by energy in the forms of both heat and light. Some of these reactions can yield a mellower flavor. Too much light, however, can be a problem and leads to ‘lightstruck’ or ‘skunky’ beer.

The substances that are most affected by light are found in hops. Hops are the cone like flowers of the climbing plant Humulus lupulus and are used to give beer its bitter flavor and many unique aromas. When light reacts with certain hop-derived compounds, it creates a variety of unpleasant-smelling and -tasting chemicals, with 3-methyl-2-butene-1-thiol (MBT) being the major offender.

Light-resistant hop extracts are now available that can help prevent beer from becoming lightstruck. Antioxidants can also be used. But these approaches affect the final taste of the beer. The best solution is to keep the beer from being exposed to light. And that is achieved through the packaging. Cans are optimal, but for glass bottles, brown glass blocks out more light than green glass, and both are far better than clear glass. Dark beers, which absorb more light, are best bottled in brown glass, while green glass is generally fine for lighter beers.

CHEMISTRY AND MUSCLES

Nitric Oxide

Researchers have recently determined that nitric oxide is a critical player in your body's creation of new muscle cells, and the science behind nitric oxide is surprisingly straightforward: Nitric oxide relaxes the smooth muscle cells around your blood vessels, widening the inner walls of your arteries. This process enhances nutrient and oxygen delivery to your muscles, boosting strength and endurance while working to prevent fatigue.

Unfortunately, your body doesn't create enough nitric oxide on its own to produce the results you want. That's why supplementing your body's natural supply of nitric oxide is a critical component of muscle building success. Nitric oxide supplements are used by tens of thousands of professional athletes and bodybuilders, and millions of average men.

The impact of nitric oxide cannot be understated. It's essential, and without a nitric oxide boost, your workouts are suboptimal, no matter what other steps you are taking.

What Now?

First and foremost, start eating right and working out properly. Without that foundation, nothing else you do will make a difference. Second, start taking a nitric oxide supplement daily. Doing so will allow you to transform your body in ways you have only dreamed.

There are so many nitric oxide products on the market today, and so many confusing marketing messages, it's tough to choose the right one – the one that makes the most sense for you.

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GREEN CERTIFICATIONS

Outlining Green Certifications — Special Online Feature
Updating the latest green certifications and what they mean to HS readers

By Corinne Zudonyi, Editor
Email the HS editors

Certifications are an important aspect of a department's custodial goal. In fact, the 2010 Housekeeping Solutions survey revealed that 86 percent of readers sought out products that were green certified. Sixty-seven percent commented that green certification for workers or the department was somewhat or very important. And another 67 percent commented that green certification for the entire facility was somewhat or very important.

Even though they are important, just like general green or sustainable terms, new and revised certifications have caused some confusion among in-house managers. Here, Housekeeping Solutions defines common certifications that have caused confusion over the years to help managers stay up to speed.

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CIMS–GB — Administered by ISSA, Cleaning Industry Management Standard (CIMS) is a management framework that aids in the development of departmental operations, performance systems and processes. CIMS-Green Building (CIMS-GB) is one of the standard's six areas of management best practices: Quality Systems; Service Delivery; Human Resources; Health, Safety, and Environmental Stewardship; Management Commitment; and Green Building.

"The CIMS-GB certification program can help an in-house cleaning organization achieve operational excellence and validate the importance of its services in order to secure budgetary support in the boardroom," says Plamena Todorova, account executive — Facility Service Programs at ISSA.

READ MORE:
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Related Topics: Green Regulations, LEED

Industry Articles: green, sustainable, certification

CIMS applies to an entire department or organization, as oppose to a single product or person and compliance with this standard can earn points or credits towards other certifications, such as LEED-EBOM. Specifics on this program can be found at www.issa.com.

CleanGredients — This is not a certification, but is still worth mentioning. This is an online database of cleaning ingredients designed to help formulators identify ingredients that have potential environmental and human health and safety benefits. It is also designed to provide the opportunity for manufacturers and producers of cleaning ingredients to showcase their ingredients with potential environmental and human health and safety benefits. Originally funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Design for the Environment (DfE) program, CleanGredients is managed by GreenBlue. A listing of products can be found at www.cleangredients.org.

CRI Seal of Approval — The Carpet and Rug Institute's (CRI) Seal of Approval program recognizes carpet cleaning solutions and equipment that, when used properly, removes soil and stains without damaging the carpet. The program currently focuses on vacuums, extractors, deep cleaning systems and carpet chemicals. CRI's Green Label and Green Label Plus programs take this one step further by testing for and certifying low emissions from carpet, cushion and adhesives. Equipment certified by this program reduce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and emissions and contribute to the growing use of recycled content for building materials. Additional information can be found at www.carpet-rug.org.

Design for the Environment (DfE) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's DfE program labels safer products — such as cleaners and detergents — that meet the requirements of its Standard for Safer Cleaning Products and safer ingredient criteria. The DfE Standard and ingredient criteria ensure that DfE-labeled products perform well and contain the safest possible ingredients. DfE authorizes the use of its logo under a signed partnership agreement that requires notification and pre-approval of ingredient changes, partnership renewal every three years, and annual audits, including an on-site audit during the partnership period. Additional information, as well as those products recognized by DfE, can be found at www.epa.gov/dfe.

EcoLogo — Formally known as the Environmental Choice Program, this use to be Canada's eco-labeling program. Over the years, the certifying body has been embraced in the U.S. to become one of North America's largest environmental standards and certification marks. The EcoLogo Program is a Type I eco-label, which means that the program compares products/services with others in the same category (i.e. chemicals vs. other chemicals), develops rigorous and scientifically relevant criteria that reflect the entire lifecycle of the product and awards the EcoLogo to those that are verified by an independent third party as complying with the criteria.

"EcoLogo standards ensure that certified products are safer for human health and the environment by specifying criteria for: less harmful chemicals and materials; use of recycled and recyclable materials; minimizing pollution generated by the production, use and disposal of these products and their packaging; and more," says Dr. Angela Griffiths, executive director of the EcoLogo Program. "EcoLogo assesses multiple impacts throughout the life cycle of the product and addresses those that are most important."

More information can be found at www.ecologo.org.

EPA Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines — The Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG) program is part of the EPA's continuing effort to promote the use of materials recovered from solid waste. Buying recycled-content products ensures that the materials collected in recycling programs will be used again in the manufacture of new products. Additional information about the CPG program can be found here.

Green Cleaning in Schools — This is Healthy Schools Campaign's national partnership to promote green cleaning in schools. The initiative brings together the cleaning industry, educational leaders, parents and advocates to support schools in the adoption of environmentally friendly policies, practices and products.

"There are so many benefits to having a green cleaning program in place," says Mark Bishop, vice president of policy and communications. "It is about cleaning with that safest available products and most current procedures, and that we are doing things to help promote the health and safety of the staff. In turn, we are educating and keeping children healthy as well as being responsible environmental stewards."

HSC's Quick & Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools helps to communicate information and resources on infection control, sustainability, green cleaning for food service, laundry care, new technologies and more. Learn more at www.healthyschoolscampaign.org/programs/gcs.

Green Seal — This is a non-profit eco-label that creates green standards for a variety of products, as well as provides product certification. Over the years the reputation of the Seal brand has grown to symbolize environmental leadership, and it continues to represent green products and services. As states continue to pass legislation that requires green cleaning practices, Green Seal product certification has become more prevalent. Many of these legislations do require the use of Green Seal certified products. An outline of all the Green Seal standards can be found at www.greenseal.org and are available for free to all interested parties.

One Green Seal standard that directly relates to this industry is GS-42, for Commercial and Institutional Cleaning Services. According to the website, this standard "establishes environmental requirements for cleaning service providers of commercial, public, and institutional buildings, including in-house and external cleaning services, to create a green cleaning program that protects human health and the environment." More information specifically pertaining to GS-42 can be found at http://www.greenseal.org/GreenBusiness/Standards.aspx?vid=ViewStandardDetail&cid=0&sid=30.

Greenguard — The goal of the Greenguard Environmental Institute (GEI) is to improve human health by enhancing indoor air quality and reducing exposure to chemicals and other pollutants. To do so, GEI certifies products and materials for low chemical emissions. Specific product certifications include: Greenguard Indoor Air Quality Certified, Greenguard Children & Schools Certified, and Greenguard Premier Certified. Only one facility certification — Greenguard Building Construction Certified — is available for new construction. More information on Greenguard and all the certifications available can be found at http://www.greenguard.org/.

LEED-EBOM — Formally LEED for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB), this certification was revamped by the U.S. Green Building Council in spring 2009 to become LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance (LEED-EBOM). The rating system now features streamlined reporting, fewer prerequisites, greater focus on operations and maintenance, ease of scale for use in greening large portfolios of existing buildings and more rewards for measured environmental performance.

Green cleaning, for example, is now a prerequisite for LEED-EBOM and can contribute at least six additional points to organizations seeking certification. It has been consolidated to one credit category and emphasis has been added on achieving a comprehensive green cleaning program and use of performance metrics for cleaning effectiveness.

Revisions to LEED-EBOM are again under review and updates are expected to be announced in November 2011. Up-to-date changes can be found at www.usgbc.org.

(OS1) — This is a cleaning management system that forms teams of workers, of which specialize in specific tasks. Workers are outfitted with the tools specified to complete their particular job function and tasked with conducting that individual task as part of the team. According to the ManagemMen website, developers of the program, "This simplification of the cleaning process results in a safer, healthier and easier working environment."

In addition to data tracking, benefits to the program include improved safety, reduced product and personnel waste, lower environmental impact, balanced employee workload, improved training and standards compliance.

"The tools are standard (selected by benchmarking best practices), the rules are established and scientifically validated, and with competition the various (OS1) organizations help "raise the bar" for cleaning performance," says Ben Walker, director at ManageMen. "(OS1) is the simple path for a busy in house manager to add professionalism to their program."

More information can be found at http://www.managemen.com/os1/green and training for the program is available through Janitor University.

Practice Greenhealth — This is a membership only community of institutions in the healthcare industry that have made a commitment to sustainable and/or eco-friendly practices. Members include hospitals, healthcare systems, businesses and other stakeholders engaged in the greening of healthcare to improve the health of patients, staff and the environment, according to the website. More information can be found at http://www.practicegreenhealth.org/.

Transpare — Originally referred to as the Information-Based Environmental Label (IBEL), Transpare outlines critical information regarding the environmental, safety and health attributes of cleaning products, empowering purchasers to make informed choices that are consistent with their organizational sustainability goals. Currently under development, Transpare is first being designed to address chemical products, but will soon be modified to address other major product categories, including those for which there are currently no third party eco-label programs such as microfiber, brooms and some equipment. ISSA and Ecoform will soon begin Beta testing of Transpare with an eye toward launching the system in late Summer 2011.

"Transpare will enable the user community to compare and contrast green cleaning products and select those that posses preferred environmental and safety and health attributes," says Bill Balek, director of environmental services at ISSA. "This capability is critical in today’s marketplace where there are over 2,500 certified products. While this statistic is a compliment to the industry’s progressiveness, the fact remains that at the present there is no effective way of distinguishing one certified product from another based on its environmental profile. Current eco-label certification programs do not make the underlying environmental data transparent, and as a consequence there is no way to identify, let alone select, the greenest product. Transpare will make this information transparent to purchasers, who can use it to make informed purchasing decisions."

GREEN AGAIN, IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS

FEATURES
Defining Green and Sustainability
Sorting through the green and sustainable lexicon

By Corinne Zudonyi, Editor
Email the HS editors

In 2007, 67 percent of Housekeeping Solutions readers commented that they used green cleaning products within their facility. By 2010, that number jumped to 86 percent. What's even more impressive though, only 50 percent of readers surveyed in 2007 commented that they would do whatever they could to incorporate green products into their programs. In 2010, that number shot up to 88 percent.

As green cleaning and sustainable initiatives continue to evolve and gain momentum with in-house departments, it can become difficult for managers to navigate the lexicon of changing terms.

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The federal government defines green as "products and services that reduce the health and environmental impacts as compared to other products and services used for the same purpose.” Custodial managers know that incorporating these products and methods into a green cleaning program will help improve the health and environment of a building and its occupants.

However, confusion often arises when it becomes necessary for managers to go beyond green products and define product certifications, product life cycle, greenwashing or biobased products, to name a few. Here, common terms and phrases that have caused confusion over the years are defined to help managers clarify green and sustainable best practices with confidence.

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Related Topics: Green Regulations, LEED, Products & Certifications

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Refresher Course
Not all terminology associated with green and sustainability is new to custodial managers. In fact, sometimes all that's needed is a refresher course and some clarification on what they already know.

BIOBASED PRODUCTS — Defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as "a product that is composed, in whole or in significant part, of biological products or renewable domestic agricultural materials (including plant, animal and marine materials) or forestry materials.” Some common ingredients in biobased cleaning products include citrus, coconut, corn, lavender and parsley.

It is important to note that not all biobased products are green and not all green products are biobased. For instance, while the ingredient in a product may be naturally derived, one also has to consider the toxicity, packaging and the manufacturing process.

ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERABLE PURCHASING — Purchasing products or services that have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared with competing products or services that serve the same purpose.

LEED — The U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is a rating system and certification program for facilities. Due to consistent updates made to the program, there are now nine different types of certifications available, six of which pertain to the jan/san professional — LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance (scheduled for revisions in 2012), LEED for Commercial Interiors, LEED for Schools, LEED for Retail, LEED for Healthcare and LEED for New Construction. Each category of certification has specific requirements outlined pertaining to custodial departments. In addition to those requirements, there are supplementary cleaning tasks that can help earn points towards certifications.

Still Causing Confusion
Although green cleaning is a concept in-house departments are accustomed to and familiar with, there is still some confusion when talking specifics. For instance, what is the difference between cleaning for health and indoor air quality? Is green really different from sustainability? These questions, as well as others, are answered in the following descriptions.

CLEANING FOR HEALTH — Some confuse this with indoor air quality, but IAQ only addresses exposure to cleaning through inhalation, which is just part of the cleaning for health concept.

"There are three routes of exposure: inhalation, ingestion and absorption through the skin,” says Steve Ashkin, president of The Ashkin Group and The Sustainability Dashboard. "Inhalation is important, but it is only one part of the equation. Cleaning for health looks at all the issues.”

The cleaning for health concept claims that cleaning has value beyond the aesthetic, and can positively impact human health and the environment by reducing exposure to chemicals, improving indoor air quality, and reducing germs that prevent disease, allergic reaction and infection for building occupants and cleaning crews. What speaks to management: the cleaning for health concept has shown to increase worker productivity and reduce absenteeism.

ECO-LABELING — An eco-label is a logo of which is affixed to a product that suggests green or sustainability. Common labels include those from EcoLogo, Green Seal, Carpet and Rug Institute or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to name a few. Manufacturers might also put their own eco-labels on products, which is called self-certification.

Purchasers are advised to research eco-labels to confirm the accuracy of green claims. This is often easily done as many certifying bodies provide lists of products carrying their labels, as well as those fraudulently making claims.

GREENWASHING — TerraChoice and EcoLogo coined the formal definition for greenwashing as "the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.”

As the green initiative took off, independent third-party certifications became necessary to differentiate a green product from one with no environmental benefit. In addition to certifications, Green Guides were introduced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to control and clarify the terms manufacturers used to market their products as green.

Proposed revisions to these guidelines are currently being reviewed to ensure that manufacturer environmental advertising and labeling claims comply with the law and do not mislead buyers. Changes to the agency's Green Guides include new guidance on marketers' use of product certifications and seals of approval, "renewable energy” claims, "renewable materials” claims and "carbon offset” claims. Those that do not comply are considered to be greenwashing.

According to TerraChoice, developers of the Greenwashing Report and The Seven Sins of Greenwashing, more than 95 percent of consumer products claiming to be green were found to commit at least one of the "Sins of Greenwashing.”

LIFE CYCLE — The life cycle of a product is a concept that recognizes the product's impact on the environment not only during usage, but across its entire life cycle. This includes everything from the extraction of raw materials to the manufacturing process, transportation and recycling or disposal of the product. The term cradle to grave (the cradle representing where the raw materials came from and the grave representing disposal after use, according to Ashkin) is often used in conjunction with life cycle, but should not be confused with cradle to cradle.

Cradle to cradle is used to explain a product that incorporates a sustainable life cycle, but as oppose to being disposed of, is instead recycled into or reused as a product of equal or greater quality. An example of this is taking the motor out of an old piece of floor care equipment and using it in a newer model that is then reintroduced into the workforce.

RADICAL TRANSPARENCY — This is a relatively new term used in the jan/san industry and is formally defined as "a management method where nearly all decision making is carried out publicly.” In other words, radical transparency is when manufacturers honestly and completely disclose sustainable processes and product ingredients — i.e. no secrets.

SELF-CERTIFICATION — To self-certify is when a manufacturer develops their own set of certifying criteria and a certification label that confirms achievement of that criteria. Tests are often not conducted by a third party but results and additional details such as life cycle studies and inspections of operations, are traditionally made available. Purchasing agents are encouraged to review these results when determining the product's viability for a particular cleaning program. Some experts consider this a form of greenwashing, but others comment that radical transparency will support self-certification claims.

SUSTAINABILITY — The concept of sustainability is often confused with or used in conjunction with green. The main difference, though, is that green is defined by products and/or services. Sustainability is defined as a process that "meet the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Sustainability minimizes cleanings impact on people and the environment, but more importantly, it is a process, not a product.

For instance, a green certified paper towel (a product) often consists of recycled fibers from previously cut-down trees. A manufacturer practices sustainability (a process) by planting a new tree for each that is used in the development of that paper towel, replenishing forests for future generations.

"There is no such thing as a sustainable product,” says Ashkin. "Sustainability addresses how products are made or used. It is about the triple bottom line: environmental aspects, financial aspects and social equity.”

New/Revised Certifications
To help in-house managers navigate the green and sustainable lexicon, third-party certifiers have developed — and in some cases already revised — product, personal, departmental and facility certifications. The goal is to create standards for which the industry can use as a benchmark to drive green and sustainable cleaning initiatives forward.

Descriptions and links to additional information pertaining to these third-party certifications can be found here.

OIL SPILLS AT SEA AND THE ROLE OF DISPERSANTS

Oil pollution, particularly of navigable waters, has excited more public concern than any other waste or spill material. This oil pollution has steadily increased with the increased oil consumption.
Crude oil released to the marine environment through accidental spillage or drainage from land causes serious damage to the environment and marine life .It is subjected to a wide variety of weathering processes which include evaporation, dissolution, dispersion, photochemical oxidation, microbial degradation, adsorption onto suspended material, agglomeration, etc.(1). These physicochemical changes in the oil enhance its dissolution in sea water.
Previous studies showed that photo oxidation of oil in the aquatic environment leads to the formation of numerous oxygenated products such as aromatic, aliphatic, benzoic and naphthanoic acids, alcohols, phenols and aliphatic ketones(2). Some of these products like aromatic and aliphatic acids, medium-molecular weight aromatic alcohols and ethers are water soluble. The most toxic effect is caused by water soluble aromatic derivatives that freshly spilled crude oil contains.
The methods that are commonly used to remove oil, involve booms, skimmers, sorbents etc .The main limitations of some of these techniques are their high cost and inefficient trace level adsorption(3). Surfactants are the active (i.e., interfacial tension reducing) ingredients in dispersants. Surfactants are compounds that have hydrophobic and hydrophilic components within the same molecule. The amphiphilic character of surfactants causes them to accumulate at interfaces because the hydrophilic part of the molecule interacts strongly with water, but the hydrophobic part is displaced from the aqueous phase because it interferes with more thermodynamically-favorable hydrogen bonding interactions between water molecules(4). When applied to a film of oil, the surfactants diffuse to the oil/water interface. There, they align themselves so that the lipophilic end of the molecule is attached to the oil phase and the hydrophilic end extends into the water phase. This reduces the interfacial surface tension between water and oil.
Nonionic surfactants are most common in dispersants because they are more effective, are generally less toxic, have a much lower aqueous solubility, and are less affected by electrolyte concentration than are anionic and cationic surfactants(5) . The nonionic surfactants used in commercial surfactants are ethoxylated derivatives of fatty acids, fatty alcohols, and fatty acid esters of sorbitan(6-8) .
However, the use of dispersant surfactants is the most widely employed and immediately effective method of combating oil pollution both on sea and on beaches. Surfactants applied to oil slick would cause the slick to break up into tiny droplets which would disperse throughout the water column. This effect causes the surfactants to accelerate natural oil weathering processes, and make the slick more amenable to biodegradation by increasing the available surface area. For these reasons the use of dispersants has become quite wide -spread worldwide (9-11).
The behavior of surfactant is strongly affected by the balance between the hydrophilic and lipophilic groups in the molecule (HLB) (12).
This work aims at preparing some nonionic dispersants and evaluating their effectiveness in dispersing and removing oil spills from contaminated water samples
Taken from a colleague collaborator in the petroleum and gas journal