Greenlist(tm) Bulletin 06/06/2008
This is the weekly bulletin of the TURI Library, reporting a selection of recently published titles we have acquired. Our pledge is to keep the bulletin relevant to your work and brief -- no more than 10 titles. You are welcome to send a message to jan@turi.org if you would like more information on any of the articles listed here.
Titles here, abstracts below:
- Chemical reaction: the U.S. response to REACH
- Incident diabetes and pesticide exposure among licensed pesticide applicators: agricultural health study, 1993-2003
- Benchmarking building performance
- Tracking plastic's breakdown products
- Mother Nature's antibacterial dyes: bright colors and a knockout punch for germs
- New study shows that transgenic plants don't hurt beneficial bugs
- New report: millions of U.S. workers stand to gain from green industries
- NanoSphere(r) at the cutting edge
- Rail cargo safety fight heats up
- Future supply chain 2016: serving customers in a sustainable way
1. Chemical reaction: the U.S. response to REACH
Author: Black, Harvey
Source: Environmental Health Perspectives, March 2008, ppA125-A127
Abstract: Last summer ushered in a new era in the regulation of chemicals. On 1 June 2007, REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals), the expansive scheme by the European Union (EU) to regulate chemicals used in commerce and consumer products, took effect.REACH applies to chemicals manufactured or marketed in Europe, and its regulations affect companies exporting chemicals to Europe as well as those located there. REACH puts the burden on chemical companies to provide information on how the chemicals they make affect human health and the environment. REACH has two parts: the collection and sharing of data throughout supply chains, and the authorization of chemicals of higher concern to human and environmental health.
In an initiative that is set to be phased in over the next 11 years, REACH will require the registration of chemicals produced or marketed in the EU in quantities of 1 metric ton or greater per year. Chemicals imported or produced in amounts of 1,000 metric tons or more are to be registered by November 2010, whereas those at amounts of 1 metric ton or more are to be registered by May 2018.
"The basic philosophy of REACH is that the [chemical] industry is managing the risk, and what REACH does is require the industry to put on paper the knowledge about the chemicals they put on the market, and describe how they are dealing with any possible risk which might be in them," says Joachim Kreysa, director for cooperation at the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), which administers REACH.
Chemical companies have from 1 June 2008 until 30 November 2008 to pre-register so-called phase-in substances—ones that are already marketed in the EU, or that have been imported or made in the EU in the past 15 years even if not sold there—by providing ECHA with such basic information as the name of the chemical and the importer. "It is important that companies [outside Europe] begin to consider the possible impact of REACH on their business now," says Malachy Hargadon, environmental counselor with the European Commission, the executive branch of the 27-nation EU. These companies should be examining their stock of chemicals and the requirements of REACH, he adds. Such chemicals are in a database called EINECS, or European Inventory of Existing Chemical Substances.
http://www.ehponline.org/members/2008/116-3/EHP116pa124PDF.PDF
2. Incident diabetes and pesticide exposure among licensed pesticide applicators: agricultural health study, 1993-2003
Authors: Montegomery, M.P.; Kamel, F.; Saldana, T.M.; Alavanja, M.C.R.; Sandler, D.P.
Source: American Journal of Epidemiology, May 15, 2008, pp1235-1246
Abstract: Exposure to certain environmental toxicants may be associated with increased risk of developing diabetes. The authors' aim was to investigate the relation between lifetime exposure to specific agricultural pesticides and diabetes incidence among pesticide applicators. The study included 33,457 licensed applicators, predominantly non-Hispanic White males, enrolled in the Agricultural Health Study. Incident diabetes was self-reported in a 5-year follow-up interview (1999–2003), giving 1,176 diabetics and 30,611 nondiabetics for analysis. Lifetime exposure to pesticides and covariate information were reported by participants at enrollment (1993–1997). Using logistic regression, the authors considered two primary measures of pesticide exposure: ever use and cumulative lifetime days of use. They found seven specific pesticides (aldrin, chlordane, heptachlor, dichlorvos, trichlorfon, alachlor, and cyanazine) for which the odds of diabetes incidence increased with both ever use and cumulative days of use. Applicators who had used the organochlorine insecticides aldrin, chlordane, and heptachlor more than 100 lifetime days had 51%, 63%, and 94% increased odds of diabetes, respectively. The observed association of organochlorine and organophosphate insecticides with diabetes is consistent with results from previous human and animal studies. Long-term exposure from handling certain pesticides, in particular, organochlorine and organophosphate insecticides, may be associated with increased risk of diabetes.
3. Benchmarking building performance
Author: Linstroth, Tommy
Source: Sustainable Facility, May 20, 2008
Abstract: You’ve cut your electricity bills by 10 percent. The chiller is operating smoothly, lights are off after hours, the building automation system is working on schedule — overall, you have a pretty efficient building. Compared to what? That is the ultimate question. While your utility bills may be lower this year, how do you know what an ideal target is? How are other buildings your size, occupancy and location operating?
One way to find out is to call up facility managers in your area, compare the scope of your buildings, and analyze your utility data together. But this is a burdensome, time-consuming endeavor – if the other facility managers are willing to share their building’s information, or if they have it at all!
Fortunately, a mechanism exists for facility managers to benchmark their buildings versus other buildings of the same size, occupancy type and location: the Portfolio Manager program from ENERGY STAR.
Portfolio Manger is an online tool that allows users to track and assess building energy consumption. You can track one building or an entire portfolio. Portfolio Manager can help set investment priorities, identify under-performing buildings, verify efficiency improvements, and receive EPA recognition for superior energy performance. Best of all, the tool is free — and very easy to use.
http://www.sustainablefacility.com/Articles/Column/
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4. Tracking plastic's breakdown products
Author: Pelley, Janet
Source: Environmental Science & Technology Online News, June 4, 2008
Abstract: A rapidly growing body of research has raised concerns about the safety of phthalate plasticizers found in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) products, cosmetics, and medical devices. Now, scientists are gaining new insights by looking not just at the parent compounds but at their metabolites as well.
The most widely used plasticizer is DEHP, or di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, and millions of tons are produced annually, says Jim Nicell, an environmental engineer at McGill University (Canada). When added to PVC, DEHP lubricates the brittle polymer, providing it with the well-known flexibility that makes it ideal for use in building materials, household furnishings, and medical devices such as intravenous tubes and bags.
Because it is not chemically bound to the plastic polymer, fat-loving DEHP readily migrates out of products and is now ubiquitous in the environment, Nicell says. It has been found in human breast milk, blood, and urine as well as house dust, snow, and sewage sludge. The European Commission has classified DEHP as a priority organic pollutant and in 2006 proposed a water quality standard for DEHP of 1.3 micrograms per liter, Nicell adds. Denmark limits the concentration of DEHP in sludge used in agriculture to 50 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) dry weight.
"Environmental fate studies tend to focus on the parent compound, but the unanswered question is, what does it turn into?" Nicell asks. Expecting that DEHP would eventually degrade into CO2 and water, Nicell and his colleagues at McGill were surprised to find that soil microorganisms break down DEHP into metabolites that exhibit acute toxicity in standard tests.
Nicell's new study tracked for the first time the DEHP breakdown products in sewage sludge and found concentrations ranging from 1 to 228 mg/kg. "We don't have a handle on what is the long-term impact associated with exposure to minute concentrations, [when combined with] a whole bunch of other toxins or endocrine disrupters, on the health and reproductive health of organisms," Nicell says.
http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2008/jun/science/jp_plasticizers.html
5. Mother Nature's antibacterial dyes: bright colors and a knockout punch for germs
Source: ScienceDaily, June 4, 2008
Abstract: A strain of marine bacteria produces large amounts of bright red pigments that can be used as a natural dye for wool, nylon, silk and other fabrics, scientists in California are reporting. The dyes from Mother Nature's palate also have an anti-bacterial effect that could discourage harmful bacteria from growing on socks, undergarments, and other clothing, they report in a new study.
In the new research, graduate student Farzaneh Alihosseini, her adviser Gang Sun and colleagues point out that conventional dyes and pigments used in clothing have several drawbacks. Many are made from non-renewable resources such as petroleum, and are potentially harmful to the environment and human health. In addition, concerns exist about the potential toxicity of existing antibacterial-fabric coatings.
The researchers found that a certain strain of bacteria isolated from marine sediments produces large quantities of bright red pigments called prodiginines that can be used to dye clothing. In laboratory tests, the pigments worked on wool, silk, nylon, and acrylic fabrics as efficiently and effectively as some conventional dyes. The pigments showed strong antibacterial activity against harmful bacteria, including E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus, when applied to most of the fabrics tested.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080602091038.htm
6. New study shows that transgenic plants don't hurt beneficial bugs
Author: Fessenden, Marissa
Source: Cornell Chronicle Online, June 3, 2008
Abstract: Genetically modified (GM) plants that use Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), a common soil bacterium, to kill pests won't harm the pests' natural enemies, according to new research by Cornell entomologists.
That is welcome news for ecologists and farmers in the debate over GM plants. Much of the debate surrounding the use of GM crops focuses on their effect on organisms that aren't pests.
The research showed that GM plants expressing Bt insecticidal proteins are not toxic to a parasite that lives inside the caterpillar of the diamondback moth, a devastating worldwide vegetable pest. It was published in the May 27 issue of the online scientific journal PLoS One.
"The conservation of parasites is important for enhancing natural biocontrol that will help suppress pest populations as well as reduce the potential for the pest insects to develop resistance to the Bt," explained Anthony Shelton, Cornell professor of entomology at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, N.Y., who conducted the study with postdoctoral associate Mao Chen. "Our studies make it clear that Bt plants are a win-win situation to control pest insects and to enhance biocontrol and biodiversity."
http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/June08/SafetyofBt.mf.html
7. New report: millions of U.S. workers stand to gain from green industries
Source: Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC), June 3, 2008
Abstract: Workers at every skill level will be in high demand and enjoy greater job security in key industries essential to building a clean-energy economy in America and fighting global warming, according to a new report released today by a coalition of conservation and labor groups.
"Achieving a clean energy economy through green industries like wind and solar are just part of the story. This report is also about job security. Making homes and offices more energy efficient not only saves money and energy, but also represents growth opportunities for workers who build our communities and keep them running," said Dan Lashof, director of NRDC’s Climate Center. "We’re talking about jobs at every skill level from construction to research, already available here at home."
This groundbreaking report, "Job Opportunities for the Green Economy," takes a state-by-state look at existing jobs skills across a wide range of occupations and income levels that would benefit from America’s transition towards a clean energy economy. The report quantifies the number of workers who can apply their skills to six categories of green industries – building retrofitting, mass transit, fuel-efficient automobiles, wind power, solar power, and cellulosic biomass fuels.
“The commitment to a clean energy economy will not only lead to quality jobs in manufacturing unions and the building trades,” says Leo W. Gerard, international president of the United Steelworkers. “It will help stop good-paying jobs from continuing to be exported.”
Hundreds of thousands of workers in the U.S. already possess the vast majority of skills and occupations necessary to reduce global warming and make the shift to a clean energy economy. For instance, constructing wind farms creates jobs for sheet metal workers, machinists and truck drivers, among many others. Increasing the energy efficiency of buildings through retrofitting relies on roofers, insulators and electricians, to name a few.
http://www.nrdc.org/media/2008/080603.asp
8. NanoSphere(r) at the cutting edge
Source: Clariant International; Schoeller Industries, May 15, 2008
Abstract: For the new NanoSphere®, the research team from Clariant and Schoeller have combined the latest technologies and developed a product that meets the highest requirements in everyday use and is geared to meet the environmental requirements of the future. The finish is free of PFOA and PFOS. Due to the new recipe and nanoparticle mix, it still achieves an extremely high level of water and oil repellency and meets the most demanding washing and dry cleaning requirements. The finish is highly abrasion resistant and the protective function remains lastingly active, even when exposed to considerable load and after frequent washings.
The finish also meets the specifications of the bluesign® standard. (www.bluesign.com). According to Peter Waeber, CEO of bluesign technologies ag, it is particularly important in the context of nanotechnology to offer a "controlled and controllable product." For example, a specially developed coating matrix ensures that the millions of nanoparticles on the fabric's surface cannot come adrift. As such, there is no danger that they will dissolve during washing, dry cleaning or ironing. In addition, today's nanoparticles are thermostable up to 1700°C.
Since last September, Clariant International Ltd. and Schoeller Technologies AG have been working closely in a strategic partnership for NanoSphere®. Schoeller Technologies AG holds the corresponding patents and manages the marketing and the branding of the NanoSphere® brand. The Clariant textile business is responsible for production, worldwide sales and distribution as well as the transfer of knowledge and quality assurance to the licensed textile mills. Previously licensed operators have already been and will consistently continue to be converted to the new NanoSphere® components; new license partners come on board with the further-developed technology.
http://www.clariant.com/C125720D002B963C/F2409FB9F9EB4270C125744A0023BF10/
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9. Rail cargo safety fight heats up
Author: Marks, Alexandra
Source: Christian Science Monitor, June 2, 2008
Abstract: Every day, hundreds of rail tank cars carry tons of chemicals that, if released, could create toxic plumes. These tank cars traverse more than 300,000 miles of railroad tracks through major cities and small towns across America.
While they represent only a small fraction of the rail cargo moved each year, homeland-security analysts have long warned that a terrorist attack on such a rail car could have catastrophic consequences.
Yet, since 9/11, Washington has not found a way to ensure the security of these moving chemical targets that satisfies homeland-security experts, environmentalists, and the chemical industry.
As a result of a congressional mandate, the Department of Transportation recently proposed a new set of regulations that would require railroads to assess the safest and most secure rail routes to ship such chemicals. The manufacturers would also be required to use better, reinforced tank cars.
But critics, some now even in the business community, say that Washington should be focusing on this question: Should these materials continue to be manufactured and shipped when safer alternatives are available?
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0603/p03s01-usgn.html
10. Future supply chain 2016: serving customers in a sustainable way
Imprint: Global Commerce Initiative, 2008
Abstract: There is a strong correlation between sustainability and the future supply chain of the consumer products and retail industry. This is the key finding from “Future Supply Chain 2016: Serving Consumers in a Sustainable Way,” a new study published by the Global Commerce Initiative together with Capgemini. The study presents a new integrated supply chain model that takes into account sustainability parameters such as CO2 emissions reduction, reduced energy consumption, better traceability and reduced traffic congestion, as well as traditional measures like on-shelf availability, cost reduction and financial performance.
Increasing political momentum around issues such as resource scarcity, climate change, security and new regulations brings to light critical challenges that the consumer products and retail industry will face in the coming years. Solutions to these challenges require new thinking, new approaches and new collaboration on infrastructures.
http://www.futuresupplychain.com/
You are welcome to send a message to jan@turi.org if you would like more information on any of these resources. Also, please tell us what topics you are particularly interested in monitoring, and who else should see Greenlist. An online search of the TURI Library catalog can be done at http://library.turi.org for greater topic coverage.
This page updated Friday June 06 2008