McKen How did the environmental control systems (ECS) come about? We first became interested in this area because of the Dow experience in using water-soluble polymers for liquid/solid separation. These polymers are now widely used in wastewater treatment in municipal sewage plants. Dow, perhaps more than any other company, introduced that kind of technology to the municipal wastewater treatment industry; we continue to be a major factor in that market today. Our ECS business has a marketing organization that sells these flocculants to both municipal and industrial customers. Since that beginning, ECS has evolved to the point where we now offer a wide range of products and services in the'environmental control area. What does ECS do, specifically? I've already mentioned the polymers we sell. Our product line also includes inorganic coagulants and some environmental enclosures. Our various service groups and subsidiaries supply customers with help in sophisticated chemical analysis, conceptual and process engineering for environmental control projects, environmental health and industrial hygiene work, modeling and evaluation of reKeith R. McKennon i s business manager for the D o w Chemical's Environmental Control Systems business, one of the company's more than 30 businesses. McKennon tells ES&T's Stan Miller that the ECS business activity was formed in the mid1960's, turned a profit in 1970, and R O W involves 1 4 0 people. Dow's ECS has performed work for more than 150 other major industries in the U.S. Last year ECS sales hit $9 million, up from $7 million in 1972; sales for 1974 are projected at $ 1 1 13 million.
ECS busi ceiving waters, and similar activities. I'd also like to comment on the things we don't do. First off, ECS is not in the equipment business at all. We have developed some good instrument packages, but have elected to license those to companies in that business. Second, our engineering activities are pointed toward ,work on complex industrial waste problems or on advanced techniques for municipal treatment. AS a result, we don't often compete with consulting engineering companies. I n fact, such firms are among our best customers since our services can often be used to reinforce their own capabilities. MANUFACTURING CONTROLS You mentioned Dow's internal environmental control program. What's its magnitude and how is it organized? We divide that responsibility into two parts. First, there is the environmental impact of our manufacturing operations. Responsibility here rests squarely with our line production management who are charged with meeting or bettering all applicable regulations and guidelines. We have made some major expenditures in this area. In the past three years Dow has completed 1129 pollution
abatement projects in our U.S. plants, at a cost of $53.4 million. Substantial additional expenditures have also been made at Dow plants outside the U S The second part concerns what we call "product stewardship." and centers around the environmental impact resulting from shipment, use, and disposal of our products. Each of Dow's businesses has product stewardship responsibility for the product it sells. We are committed to exercising responsible care for our products both during our manufacture and later in their use by our customers. This means assessing the environmental impact of the products and then taking appropriate steps to protect employee and public health, and the environment as a whole. In addition to safe production and judicious customer use. it means we have a continuous concern for the ultimate disposal of our products in the environment. It is the experience gained from programs like these which provides the basis for our ECS business. BREAKDOWN Can you be more specific about the service groups i n ECS? Sure. 1'11 briefly describe each service group and its activities. Dow Environmental Services takes our waste treatment and disposal technology and experience and uses it to develop facilities for our customers. The problems we get are usually tough ones that don't lend themselves to "garden'-variety" solutions. Hydroscience, Inc. is a recent acquisition which operates as a wholly owned subsidiary. Hydroscience provides environmental process design expertise to industrial clients and also does modeling and evaluation of the impact of pollutants on natural water systems such as lakes, estuaries and rivers. Interpretive Analytical Services (IAS) uses very sophisticated analytical methods and equipment-electron microprobe, neutron activation analysis, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and other analytical chemistry techniques which involve Volume 8 . Number 6 . June 1974
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complicated and expensive equipment to do specialized analytical work for our clients. Dow Environmental Health Services, started in 1971, is essentially an outgrowth of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. We saw a need for environmental health programs in many companies that do not have these capabilities in-house. We felt Dow has a big advantage in providing this service in that Dow has at one location (Midland, Mich.) a wide variety of the scientific disciplines needed to do this job effectively. There are literally hundreds of professionals on tap whose skills can be applied to any environmental health project. We've been involved in some interesting work; for example, our engineers were responsible for testing and certifying the integrity of biological barrier systems in the lunar receiving laboratory before it was put in service by NASA. This group also developed the internationally accepted biohazard warning symbol, which is as widely accepted in the field of biological research as the familiar radiation warning symbol is in the field of radiological research. For several years this same group of environ-
ECS at a glance
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Environmental Science & Technology
mental specialists have been involved in contamination control research, development, and consultation for the National Cancer Institute laboratories.
June 1973, the rights were sold to Envirotech, another environmental company. But Surfpac is the only environmental business activity that Dow's ECS has sold.
CLIENTS SHOWCASE Who uses ECS and how successful has it been? Over the years, ECS has performed services for more than 150 major industrial clients, many of whom are listed in the Fortune 500 list. Our customers include such well-known companies as General Electric, Xerox, Du Pont, and General Foods, to mention a few. After turning a profit in 1970, ECS finally is earning at a rate which lets us keep our head up with other Dow businesses. I think our performance would compare very favorably with that of other environmental companies. Are there examples of environmental products or services in which Dow is no longer interested? Earlier the company marketed Surfpac, a biological oxidation media made of polyvinyl chloride. At that time Dow was a producer of PVC; but the company no longer produces this material. I n
What examples can you cite of ECS activities? Hydroscience was retained by the Great Lakes Basin Commission to evaluate the feasibility of developing water quality related models for the Great Lakes. The study involved a review of existing data and modeling techniques as well as the development of a specific modeling framework that could be applied for water quality management control of the lakes. A demonstration model, concentrating on a zone of Lake Erie, was prepared to demonstrate the practical use of certain modeling techniques. A continuing investigation developing a ranking of problems within the lakes and creating a framework for further analysis of the problem is under way. A good example of our IAS work involved determining the cause of an intermittent odor in extruded plastic film. The problem was serious, since
approved
the odor made the film unsuitable for use as a food wrap. Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, we were able to identify the odor-causing component. I t was ultimately traced to the lubricant in a pump used in the extrusion process. Changing to a different lubricant solved the problem. ECS designed a solid and liquid waste incineration facility at the 3M Co. (Minneapolis, Minn.). This facility is more than a $5 million industrial waste incinerator based on one that Dow built a number of years‘ ago at its Midland, Mich., manufacturing location. In this specific example, ECS, working in close cooperation with 3M engineering, took the item from its conceptual phase, all the way through the engineering design of the operating unit and participated in start-up. So here is an example of Dow expertise being translated to another industrial waste disposal facility. We are currently designing similar disposal facilities for other industrial clients. The National Association of Photographic Manufacturers has retained Hydroscience, Inc. to perform a detailed study of the pollutional characteristics of the 50 major chemicals involved in the industry. These studies included a definition of the biodegradability of the substrates, their relative toxicity, and their compatibility with municipal waste treatment. The study developed several innovative methods of examining the characteristics of industrial compounds. To widely disseminate the information, NAPM, in cooperation with Hydroscience, is now sponsoring three national symposia where information developed from the studies, as well as peripheral information, will be presented to the industry.
.‘ECS is earning at a rate which lets us keep our head up with other Do w businesses. ” ECS’s McKennon
I s ECS active outside the U.S.? Hydroscience has done work in Canada, Europe, and Latin America, and our DES group has done a job for Gruppo Lepetit, an Italian pharmaceutical manufacturer in which Dow has a substantial interest. We have not set up any ECS-type organization outside the U.S., however, and plan to further develop our U.S. business before planning extensive work elsewhere.
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PERSONAL ASIDE ~ - _ _ _ -
What was your experience at Dow prior to the ECS assignment? My background is heavily R&D oriented, but does include a stint in field sales management. For a number of years I was involved with Pusher chemicals-chemicals used to enhance the process by which oil is recovered from underground. (Pusher is part of another of Dow’s 30 businesses-in this case, the mining and petroleum industry products business.) When Dow developed its ECS services, this business began plowing some new ground in terms of how a corporation like Dow can best perform this type of service-oriented work. We have to think in terms of earning a return for Dow on people and technology instead of railroad cars full of products. It’s quite challenging and rewarding. As you have seen, ECS is now marketing a whole raft of new services, something that Dow has not done a whole lot of in the past.
total organic carbon volatile organic carbon total carbon DOHRMANN’S DC-50 ORGANIC ANALYZER makes all of these measurements accurately and rapidly. Based on proven, E P A approved methods, it avoids interferences and undesirable pyrolysis reactions that historically have resulted in significant errors. D I R E C T READOUT: Four-digit presentation shows carbon content directly in mg/liter or ppm. N o recorder needed! D I R E C T M E A S U R E M E N T : A single sample injection gives either Organic Carbon or Total Carbon content directly,
n o t by difference. INDEPENDENT MEASUREMENT: Volatile Organics are determined separ a t e l y from T o t a l Organics t o a i d in source identification. RELIABLE M E A S U R E M E N T S : Determines important, lightweight volatiles such as low molecular weight alcohols and ketones, normally lost by acidification and sparging. FAST: 5 minutes per determination. ACCURATE: Repeatability of 1 mg/ liter or f 2 % . W I D E R A N G E : 1 to 2,000 mg/liter (ppm) without dilution. P R I C E : $7,500, including start-up assistance and operator training.
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, WATER P R O G R A M S , G u i d e l i n e s E s t a b l i s h i n g T e s t Procedures for Analysis of Pollutants. FEDE R A L R E G I S T E R Vol. 38, No. 199, P a r t 11, Oct. 16, 1973. For descriptivebrochures, technical reprints, or dates of seminars in your area, contact: D O H R M A N N D I V I S I O N 1062 L i n d a Vista Avenue, Mountain View, California 94040. (415) 968-9710.
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