CTC Phase-Out: GTZ-Proklima Supports Industries: Carbon Tetra Chloride (CTC) has proven to cause damage to health and environment. Considering its ill effects, international community has decided to phase out this harmful solvent and India as a participating country has already drawn a National CTC Phase Out Plan which has resulted in lesser availability of CTC for MSMEs. GTZ Proklima, a multi-government funded initiative, is providing “FREE OF CHARGE” technical assistance to industries in India for cheaper and profitable alternatives of CTC.
CTC and its uses
CTC (chemical formula CCl4) is used as solvent across a vast range of industry segments. Its solvency power, non-flammability and the low cost has made CTC a popular solvent in wide array of cleaning applications including the manufacture of capital goods, cleaning and maintenance of equipment, offset printing and textile industry. The automobile industry also uses CTC for Degreasing, contact cleaning and foundries for Millipore testing.
CTC - Environmental and health hazards
There is still more to CTC. Once the solvent evaporates, it rises up high into the atmosphere. Reaching altitudes above 15 km it begins a work of destruction of the fragile layer of ozone. This ozone layer protects our planet from harmful ultraviolet (UV-B) rays from the sun as higher concentrations of UV-B causes skin cancer, eye cataract and suppression of immune systems in human beings. The decrease in ozone has resulted in a growing “ozone hole” over Antarctica and Australia. A recent study shows that the hole is larger than 8 times the size of India. One single chlorine atom from CTC can destroy more than 1 lakh ozone molecules.
There are serious occupational health hazards associated with CTC. High exposure to CTC can cause damage to lungs, liver, kidneys and central nervous system. CTC has proven to cause cancer in animals and is possible carcinogenic on humans.
Montreal Protocol and CTC Phase-out plan in India
The international community has signed the Montreal Protocol on phase-out of ozone depleting substances (ODS) such as CTC and CFC (chlorofluorocarbons). The Montreal Protocol came into existence on September 16, 1987 and last year it celebrated its 21st anniversary. Till date 193 countries have already signed this successful international convention.
India became a signatory to the protocol in 1992 and since then has taken steps to reduce the supply of CTC in the country. As per the plan by the end of 2009 CTC will be completely removed from the Indian markets. The reduction of targets may be technically achieved by regulatory interventions alone. However, a guiding principle of the implementation of the Montreal Protocol is to ensure that, in the course of change-over, no undue burden arise for the affected industries in the country.
