Dow Biocides, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Co., has introduced AQUCAR OPP 63 Water Treatment Microbiocide for use in applications such as slurries preservation and pulp and paper processing. The launch of this product coincides with a Dow Biocides milestone; this year marks the 60th anniversary of the registration of o-phenylphenol (OPP) with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). OPP is the oldest molecule in the broad Dow Biocides portfolio offering.
“Environmentally, not all phenols are the same,” said Nanette Hermsen, global marketing manager, Dow Biocides. “While many people perceive phenolic preservatives to have a negative impact on waste water treatment systems, OPP entering the waste water treatment plant at low part-per-million (ppm) concentrations will be extensively biodegraded. As the oldest biocide in our portfolio, we have substantial data on OPP and how it functions in applications.”
AQUCAR OPP 63 Water Treatment Microbiocide does not contain or release formaldehyde and is a fast-acting, broad-spectrum bactericide and fungicide that is highly effective in alkaline pH applications. AQUCAR OPP 63 can be incorporated with adequate mixing at any point during the manufacturing process and its high temperature stability allows for addition before cooling of a product. It is especially effective in controlling bacterial and fungal growth in aqueous pigments and filter slurries as well as controlling microorganisms in papermaking systems and preventing slime formation during virtually all stages of the process.
In 2007, Dow Biocides announced that the EPA determined that the active OPP was eligible for re-registration. As part of the Re-registration Eligibility Decision (RED), the EPA completed human health and environmental risk assessments for OPP. In those assessments, the EPA concluded that there was no evidence of increased risk to infants and children from OPP at typical use concentrations. Furthermore, the EPA classified OPP and SOPP (sodium o-phenylphenol) as “Not likely to be carcinogenic to humans” at typical use concentrations.
“The efforts we took to re-register OPP demonstrate our commitment to process water applications and to finding solutions that are both highly effective, as well as safe for the environment,” Hermsen said. “OPP has always been considered an excellent biocide, and now formulators can take full advantage of its broad-spectrum, quick-kill properties while working with slurries.”
Source: Dow Biocides