Notification of non genuine Ultraseal UK tyre sealant being offered in the UK marketplace.

Because of the high amount of imitation product now entering the UK marketplace from overseas we have now issued warnings in an attempt to keep ahead of the counterfeiters. This will ensure that our UK customers continue to get the same high quality high speed puncture preventative that they have been used to for nearly a decade.

 

  
       

The box and bottle to the left, is one of many imitation and non Ultraseal UK products supplied in DIY installation kits or 5 US gall pails (18 litres) imported from North America and being supplied in the UK under the name "Ultraseal". One of the tricks used by the reseller of this product has been to put a picture of a person in clothing similar to Top Gears "Stig" in order to make the potential purchaser think this non Ultraseal UK product has been recommended by the BBCs Top Gear. This is an insult to intelligent people and may be the way it's done in other countries but not here.  If someone has attempted to sell you a bottle of Ultraseal tyre sealant with this packaging please contact ourselves and your local Trading Standards office immediately and direct them to this official Ultraseal UK website where they will see the genuine Ultraseal UK logo and Ultraseal UK Corporate image of nearly a decade. The tyre sealant supplied with this packaging is a truck sealant from North America which contains 42% of the very toxic Ethylene Glycol. It also contains high amounts of the anti corrosive Chromate which is a carcinogen and now banned in certain products in the UK. We also found high amounts of the monomer Hydroxypropyl Methacrylate. Because this particular manufacturer adds the Ethylene Glycol not only as an anti freeze, but as part of a chemical reaction when mixed with the Hydroxypropyl Methacrylate as part of it's sealing capabilities, it would not be possible to replace the Ethylene Glycol with non toxic Propylene Glycol because Propylene Glycol is one carbon atom different, so therefore will not react with the Methacrylate. Safety standards in North America are different than here in the UK so this kind of chemistry with these chemicals are frowned upon for consumer products going into the domestic market. Ultraseal UK's (based in Exeter) manufactured product has always supplied an Ethylene Glycol and Propylene Glycol free sealant which is 100% non toxic and 95% organic. We can be contacted at  mail@ultraseal.biz                     

    
   
 

Ethylene glycol poisoning is caused by the ingestion of ethylene glycol and can quite easily soak through the skin. It is a toxic, colorless, odorless, almost nonvolatile liquid with a sweet taste. Following ingestion the symptoms of poisoning follow a three step progression starting with intoxication and vomiting, before causing metabolic acidosis, cardiovascular dysfunction, and finally acute kidney failure. The major cause of toxicity is not the ethylene glycol itself but its metabolites. The major metabolites causing toxicity are glycolic acid and oxalic acid.

Medical diagnosis of poisoning is most reliably done by measurement of ethylene glycol in the blood. However many hospitals do not have the facilities to perform this test and need to rely on abnormalities in the body’s biochemistry to diagnose poisoning. Diagnosis can also be aided by examining the urine for the presence of calcium oxalate crystals. Treatment consists of initially stabilizing the patient followed by the use of antidotes. The antidotes used are either ethanol or fomepizole (Antizol). The antidotes work by blocking the enzyme responsible for metabolizing ethylene glycol and therefore halt the progression of poisoning. Hemodialysis is also used to help remove ethylene glycol and its metabolites from the blood. As long as medical treatment is quickly undertaken the prognosis is generally good with most patients making a full recovery. Poisoning is relatively common and due to its taste, children and animals will sometimes consume large quantities of ethylene glycol.

Ethylene glycol was once thought innocuous; in 1931 it was suggested as being suitable for use as a vehicle or solvent for injectable pharmaceutical preparations. Numerous cases of poisoning have been reported since then, and it has been shown to be toxic to humans. A toxic dose requiring medical treatment varies but is considered more than 0.1 mL per kg body weight (mL/kg) of pure substance (The biggest cause of suicide in North America because 2 teaspoons of ethylene glycol is enough to kill an adult within 48 hours or slower if soaked through the skin over time). Poison control centers often use more than a lick or taste in a child or more than a mouthful in an adult as a dose requiring hospital assessment. The orally lethal dose in humans has been reported as approximately 1.4 mL/kg of pure ethylene glycol. death has occurred with just 30 mL of the concentrate in an adult. In the EU classification of dangerous substances it is 'harmful' (Xn) while more toxic substances are classified as 'toxic' (T) or 'very toxic' (T+).

There is also a risk of poisoning where mists or fogs are generated as ethylene glycol causes irritation and coughing when breathed in, alerting victims to its presence. Ethylene glycol is well absorbed through skin meaning poisoning following dermal exposure is also common.

 
Symptoms of ethylene glycol poisoning usually follow a three-step progression, although poisoned individuals will not always develop each stage.

So what are the implications of Ethylene Glycol based tyre sealants?

For the end user it is obvious, if you get any of this tyre sealant on your skin whilst installing, it will be broken down in the kidneys and lead to kidney damage. This is particularly a problem for tyre personnel who have been handling these E/G based sealants for years because of the build-up of toxins. Even worse if you get a puncture and the tyre is severely damage like the damage caused whilst running on a flat tyre for several yards you will be dealing with hot and lethal vapours and when the damaged tyre is placed in the boot the whole family will possibly breath in these toxic vapours.

The tyre man who does the installations will not only consume a lethal dose over time through the skin, but will also be placed in harms way has he removes a warm freshly dismounted tyre containing this toxic sealant which will be giving off vapours which will not only be harmful to the tyre personnel but to all in the surrounding vicinity. A tyre fitter is not classed as a "professional user" so he would not have had the required training which would require that he fully suited up and wore protective gloves and a face mask. It is also important that disposal issues are considered as you cannot just place a tyre on a tyre dump that contains a sealant that is E/G based.

More information on these toxic chemicals and other info to come shortly

      

 

Below are images of the genuine Ultraseal UK labels and box cartons with genuine logo that everyone is familiar with for nearly a decade. The Ultraseal UK product in the familiar packaging as shown below can be found in retail shops throughout the UK. The Ultraseal UK product is manufactured in the UK and conforms to UK Health and Safety regulations. Ultraseal UK have  been trading from Queensgate House, 48 Queen St Exeter EX4 3SR for nearly a decade, so if the source of the tyre sealant is not from that address, in the packaging below then the tyre sealant is not genuine Ultraseal UK product and therefore possibly an inferior imitation.

 

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