Green chemicals at Mumbai airport

The Green Seal certified products used at CSIA are GS-37 certified, having passed through 37 lab tests to ensure that they are non-toxic, non-irritating to skin and eyes, and have zero adverse side effects. In use at T2 since February 2017 as toilet, floor and surface cleaners, the chemicals not only help in effective cleaning, but also in minimising unwanted health and environmental impacts to all stakeholders. As of now, around 200 toilets and approximately four lakh sqmt surface area are being treated with the said products.

The chemicals in use contain ammonia-feeding bacteria along with activating enzymes, which actively react with the uric acid commonly found in urinals, converting it to nitrogen, thus removing unpleasant odours effectively with no need for masking with artificial scents or room fresheners. Water is therefore only utilised for manual cleaning, as the need to flush toilets after every use is done away with. On an average, close to 90,000 men, passengers and staff alike use the airport’s toilets in a single day. With each flush using up almost 1.2 litres of water, the amount of water conserved through this initiative is considerable.

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In addition, these products are completely biodegradable, and cannot be formulated with harmful substances such as carcinogens, mutagens, and the like. The airport also restricts the use of volatile compounds such as aerosols that cause ground level ozone pollution, and uses these sustainable organic products to improve overall air quality and create a healthier environment.