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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Phasing Out Dry Cleaning Chemical

dry cleaning chemicals

primipil from Getty Images/CanvaPro

In December 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a 10-year phaseout for the use of perchloroethylene (PCE), although most uses will be fully phased out in less than three years. PCE is a solvent used for consumer applications, such as brake cleaners and adhesives, as well as for industrial uses, such as dry cleaning, the production of refrigerants and the processing of petroleum at refineries.

Newly acquired dry-cleaning machines are prohibited from using PCE after six months. The compliance dates for machines that are already in service vary depending on the type of machine; older models will be phased out sooner. Many dry cleaners have already begun the transition to alternative products. The EPA rule is intended to eliminate the health risk to people that work in dry cleaning facilities. A 2009 study published in the Journal of Environmental and Public Health found that people living in buildings with a dry cleaner had higher rates of kidney cancer

In-Print National Content Global Brief Global and Health Briefs February 2025
Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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