GemCare.net-

Biodegradable

Bluz — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 16:27:58 +0000

Biodegradable waste is a type of waste, typically originating from plant or animal sources, which may be degraded by other living organisms. The claim biodegradable is often associated with environmentally friendly products. What exactly does this mean? I would define it as being able to be broken down by natural processes, into more basic components. Products are usually broken down by bacteria, fungi or other simple organisms. By this definition, most chemicals are biodegradable; the only thing differing would be the amount of time it takes to break down. A piece of bread will break down rather quickly, whereas a piece of plastic will take decades and beyond.

Eco-Friendly

Bluz — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 16:09:12 +0000

We must be careful because some products that claim to be biodegradable, I ran across a popular cleaning product that proudly claims to be “biodegradable” and even has an environmentally pleasing name and color. The main (active) cleaning chemical is a nonylphenolethoxylate (NPE), made solely of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. This class of chemicals are considered suspicious because they are possible endocrine disruptors. This means they may mimic the endocrine hormones and may cause havoc with a female’s reproductive system. NPE’s do biodegrade to a benzene ring type structure and other simpler structures. This biodegrading may or may not lead to a less hazardous chemical, but still hazardous. Although it is biodegradable, this product is by no means environmentally friendly.

Jewelry Cleaners

Bluz — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 16:07:54 +0000

Most jewelry cleaners contain some toxic chemicals and some have abrasives that will damage platinum. You may rest assured our cleaners contain none of those things. Our popular “Radiance 2000″ is great for cleaning and polishing platinum because there are no abrasives. It is also great for sterling silver too. Our flagship product “Diamonds and Pearls” contains No Ammonia, No Petroleum, and No Alcohol and is non-toxic to humans. Even the refills are mixed with tap water to restore your fine jewelry to “Like new” condition.