Dubai, United Arab Emirates - May 7th, 2014

Dow Microbial Control, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company, will host a "GENUINE GLUTARALDEHYDE" Academy developed specifically for the oil and gas industry on Wednesday, the 7th of May. The event will introduce the latest microbial control solutions and best practices in sustainability and regulatory compliance for the industry, as well as help attendees distinguish glutaraldehyde from non-genuine product options.

"Dow's global "GENUINE GLUTARALDEHYDE" Academy is designed to educate attendees about the numerous benefits of glutaraldehyde and help them learn how to distinguish genuine product from non-genuine options," said Moosa AL-Moosa, general manager, Dow UAE. "This campaign is part of Dow's commitment to our customers and stakeholders who have a vested interest in this issue for the good of the petrochemical industry as a whole."

Glutaraldehyde is a versatile microbiocide that offers advantages in a host of applications, including controlling microbes found in industrial operations such as oilfields and cooling towers. It offers broad efficacy, is biodegradable and formaldehyde free, and is also non-carcinogenic, non-persistent and non-bio-accumulative, which distinguishes it from many other biocides.

Since being introduced more than six decades ago, glutaraldehyde has become one of the most effective and versatile molecules available. However, its widespread success has spawned blended products of non-genuine glutaraldehyde that can replicate the specific gravity and aldehyde titration results of GENUINE GLUTARALDEHYDE. As a result, customers do not receive what they paid for and specified.

"Although glutaraldehyde is often confused with formaldehyde and shares the chemical family name 'aldehyde', their chemical and toxicological properties are significantly different, and that was one of the reasons for our educational campaign," said Mark Henning, President of Dow Microbial Control. "Moreover, there are often environmental, health and safety issues to consider with these blended products, and the personal protective equipment requirements may differ - especially for free formaldehyde, which is a known carcinogen".

 In conjunction with its GENUINE GLUTARALDEHYDE program, Dow Microbial Control has created a special website devoted to Glutaraldehyde (www.Glutaraldehyde.com). It features useful glutaraldehyde-related information, including links to technical documents and resources, as well as a Genuine Glutaraldehyde Cost Calculator to help customers determine how much they should be paying for their blended products.

The comprehensive half-day Academy will be held at the Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche hotel. Dow also hosted a similar Academy for the Kuwait oil and gas industry on the 5th of May at the Jumeirah Messilah Hotel.

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About Dow Microbial Control
Dow Microbial Control innovates with science and technology to provide long-term viable and sustainable microbial control. Our comprehensive global offering provides customers with solutions to optimize formulations, including high performing and technically supported selection of registered actives and products. With world-class people organization-wide and a broad portfolio of microbial control technologies, Dow Microbial Control can help solve most any microbial control problem. From specialty and highly regulated to non-regulated, the company has the experience and essentials for more sustainable microbial protection for products and processes. Visit www.DowMicrobialControl.com.

About Dow
Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines the power of science and technology to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company is driving innovations that extract value from the intersection of chemical, physical and biological sciences to help address many of the world's most challenging problems such as the need for clean water, clean energy generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow's integrated, market-driven, industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in approximately 180 countries and in high growth sectors such as packaging, electronics, water, coatings and agriculture. In 2013, Dow had annual sales of more than $57 billion and employed approximately 53,000 people worldwide. The Company's more than 6,000 products are manufactured at 201 sites in 36 countries across the globe. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.

For Editorial Information:
Leigh-Ann Lanier
The Dow Chemical Company
t +971 4 453 7000

Neil Fernandes
Weber Shandwick
t +971 4 445 42 22
Email: dow@webershandwick.com

© Press Release 2014