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Greenlist(tm) Bulletin 06/10/2005


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 (usually). 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 them:

  1. Green Chemistry: Designing Toxics-Free Products. Spring 2005
  2. Nanotechnology Finds Some Growing Applications. May 2005
  3. Chemical Contaminants and Human Disease: A Summary of Evidence. 2004
  4. 25 Notable Processors. March 2005
  5. Linking the Use of Scented Consumer Products to Consumer Exposure to Polycyclic Musk Fragrances. Winter 2005
  6. Beyond Reporting: Creating Business Value and Accountability. November 2004
  7. Lead Tops List of Developmental Toxicants Released by Industry into Environment. 2005
  8. Glass Fiber Meets Stiffer Competition. March 2005
  9. New Fluorosurfactants Address Concerns Surrounding C8 Telomer Chemistries. April 2005
  10. Using Economic Incentives to Control Pollution. April 2005

 

 

1. Green Chemistry: Designing Toxics-Free Products

AUTHOR Douglas, Geoffrey

SOURCE UMass Lowell Magazine, v8 n2, Spring 2005, pp12-16

ABSTRACT Professor John Warner, who recently joined the faculty of the School of Health and Environment at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, is on his way to redefining chemistry. He is doing this through the propagation of a brand-new concept, a new ideology that could shake some assumptions as old as science itself. Known as Green Chemistry, it was developed jointly by Warner and an EPA scientist named Paul Anastas. Green Chemistry places an emphasis on tending to environmental impacts at the earliest stage of innovation and invention. It looks to ways to create products that can be compatible with the environment from the start -- rather than treating or disposing of pollutants, the goal is not to create them in the first place. The Center for Green Chemistry at UMass Lowell promotes collaboration among scientists, and aims to create a multi-disciplinary student body that understands and can anticipate the effect of industry and innovation on the environment.

 
2. Nanotechnology Finds Some Growing Applications

AUTHOR MacDonald, Veronica

SOURCE Chemical Week, v.167 n.16, May 11, 2005, pp. 35-38

ABSTRACT Nanotechnology is expected to play a big role in the personal care market over the next few years. Global demand for nanomaterials in cosmetics and toiletries is expected to jump to $100 million by 2008, according to a recent report from the Freedonia Group. The most common use of nanomaterials in cosmetics and toiletries is to create nanoscale particles of inorganic ultraviolet light absorbers such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide in sunscreens. Nantechnology used to create microcapsules containing free radical scavenging ingredients are also gaining popularity.

 
3. Chemical Contaminants and Human Disease: A Summary of Evidence

AUTHOR Janssen, Sarah; Solomon, Gina; Schettler, Ted

ABSTRACT Member scientists of the Collaborative on Health and the Environment (CHE) have compiled a database that summarizes representative knowledge about links between environmental exposures and about 200 human diseases. While extensive, it is not an exhaustive list. Of special value is the perspective it provides on the strength of the scientific evidence linking a given health condition with a particular chemical exposure. It is designed to reflect the current state of knowledge about toxicants and human disease, organized by disease categories.

 
4. 25 Notable Processors

SOURCE Modern Plastics Worldwide, v82 n3, March 2005, pp40-56

ABSTRACT The editors of Modern Plastics Worldwide were asked a simple question: Who are the most notable processors in the plastics industry today? The following 25 profiles comprise their answers. This review of industry leaders will become an annual event.

 
5. Linking the Use of Scented Consumer Products to Consumer Exposure to Polycyclic Musk Fragrances

AUTHOR Wormuth, Matthias; Scheringer, Martin; Hungerbuhler, Konrad

SOURCE Journal of Industrial Ecology, v9 n1-2, Winter 2005, pp237-258

ABSTRACT Synthetic organic chemicals are ingredients of many consumer products used daily. Consumers are therefore exposed constantly to a broad spectrum of synthetic organic chemicals, which might be irritants or have other effects harmful to human health in the consumption phase of the product life cycle. Relevant examples are the polycyclic musk fragrances that make up an important group of synthetic fragrance compounds. This study identifies a limited number of types of scented consumer products as significantly contributing to daily dermal consumer exposure to musk fragrances. Exposure levels resulting from the simultaneous use of these products and the number of exposed consumers are investigated.

 
6. Beyond Reporting: Creating Business Value and Accountability

AUTHOR Engen, Travis; DiPiazza, Samuel

ABSTRACT Executives from the purchasing agent to the CFO are currently held accountable for a variety of outcomes to a variety of stakeholders. This project has explored how leading companies are beginning to translate accountabilities between the seemingly alien worlds of sustainability and business value. The World Business Council for Sustainable Development Accountability and Reporting Project started in March 2002 and has involved more than 60 member companies through three interrelated work streams: framework (theoretical); practice (internal) and consultation/engagement (external). It also looked at how existing templates for accountability, such as the Global Reporting Initiative, can help companies, and included developing tools that make sense of the myriad sustainable development codes, guidelines and frameworks.


7. Lead Tops List of Developmental Toxicants Released by Industry into Environment

SOURCE North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation

ABSTRACT A report by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) warns that, although lead pollution has been in decline since the phaseout of leaded gasoline in the 1980s, the metal and its components remain the leading developmental toxicant released by industrial facilities. Lead ranks as the top chemical linked to cancer, birth defects and other reproductive harm with releases in North America in 2002 totaling 43.4 million kg. This figure accounts for 24 percent of the total releases of all 77 developmental toxicants listed in the CEC's Taking Stock report, an annual study that compares industrial pollution data submitted by 24,192 facilities to the governments of Canada and the United States.

 
8. Glass Fiber Meets Stiffer Competition

AUTHOR Tolinski, Michael

SOURCE Plastics Engineering, v61 n3, March 2005, pp18-20

ABSTRACT The research and development behind natural-fiber reinforcements for plastics is still heavily relegated to major universities -- but big OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and small manufacturers are showing more interest in these materials, given their potential for lowering life-cycle costs. This article summarizes some background ideas and notable findings from recent conference papers on natural fibers.

 
9. New Fluorosurfactants Address Concerns Surrounding C8 Telomer Chemistries

AUTHOR Rosenbaum, Barry

SOURCE PCI: Paint & Coatings Industry, v21 n4, April 2005, pp52-60

ABSTRACT For many years, it has been known that certain perfluoroalklyls of chain length C8 and longer have the potential to bioaccumulate in fish and mammals. Significant levels of these chemicals have also been identified in human blood samples all over the world. So when 3M Company announced the voluntary withdrawal of all products containing their C8 fluorochemistry in May of 2000, it was not altogether surprising, but did present a perplexing dilemma -- what would take their place? Polymeric short chain fluorosurfactants present a viable replacement as paint and coating producers look to move away from C8 chemistries for environmental reasons. This technology platform also has the broad potential to provide important performance advantages over a wide range of applications. Flow, leveling and wetting can now be combined with improved surface durability for existing and end uses.

 
10. Using Economic Incentives to Control Pollution

SOURCE Business and the Environment, vXVI n4, April 2005, pp4-5

ABSTRACT The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state and local agencies continue to seek innovative ways to reduce pollution, including the use of economic incentive programs. Economic incentives can range from emission trading programs to government subsidies of innovative control technologies. They can be directed toward many types of pollution, and can be used to achieve emission reduction milestones, to attain and maintain standards, or to simply provide flexible, low-cost approaches to achieving environmental goals. EPA recently released a report, "International Experiences with Economic Incentives for Protecting the Environment," that reviews other countries' experiences when managing the environment with economic instruments. In comparison to information summarized in a 1997 EPA report, more countries are using economic incentives in a more sophisticated way.


 



 
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