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Greenlist(tm) Bulletin 07/22/2005

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:

Third National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals. July 2005
Managing Calcium Oxalate Scale in the Bleach Plant. June 2005
Integrating Managers into Environmental Management Systems. Summer 2005
Organic Solar Cells. May 2005
Socially Responsible Investment Analysts Find More Large U.S. Companies Reporting on Social and Environmental Issues. 2005
Incineration Testing ECAs Signed. July 2005
New Generation of Alkyl Phenol-Free Nonionic Surfactants for Emulsion Polymerization. July 2005
European Parliament Votes to Ban Phthalates in Toys. July 2005
IC Materials Change to Meet Environmental Standards. July 2005
Nanotechnology for the Forest Products Industry: Vision and Technology Roadmap. 2005

1. Third National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals

SOURCE Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

ABSTRACT The Third National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals, released July 21, 2005 by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), shows a significant decline in exposure to secondhand smoke and continued decreases in children’s blood lead levels. The report also suggests the need for more research into health effects of exposure to low levels of cadmium. For this year’s report, CDC’s Environmental Health Laboratory measured 148 chemicals – 38 of which have never been measured in the U.S. population – or their breakdown products (metabolites) in blood or urine. The samples were collected from approximately 2400 people who participated in CDC's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 -2002. NHANES is an ongoing national health survey of the general U.S. population. The report provides exposure data on the U.S. population by age, sex, and race or ethnicity. In addition to lead and cadmium, the report includes extensive data for such chemicals as mercury, lead, cadmium, and other metals; phthalates; organochlorine pesticides; organophosphate pesticides; pyrethroid insecticides; herbicides; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; dioxins and furans; polychlorinated biphenyls; and phytoestrogens. CDC conducts this research to learn more about the effectiveness of public health interventions and better understand the health risks of exposure to chemicals in the environment. Research separate from the report’s findings is needed to determine the relationship between levels of chemicals in the blood or urine and health effects. The results presented in this and future reports will help set priorities for research on human health risks resulting from exposure to environmental chemicals.

2. Managing Calcium Oxalate Scale in the Bleach Plant

SOURCE TAPPI and PIMA Solutions!, v88 n06, June 2005, pp45-46

ABSTRACT To comply with the USEPA's "Cluster Rule," most US mills have switched from the use of chlorine to chlorine dioxide as the oxidant in the first stage of bleaching. This process change has a downside: it increases the formation of mineral scale in bleach plants. Typically, calcium oxalate forms in the chlorine dioxide stages and calcium carbonate in the extraction stages. Many mills have directly linked significant production losses, increased maintenance costs, and increased bleach chemical costs to calcium-based scale formation. However, by lowering the pH of the bleaching stage, mills may be able to either eliminate or substantially reduce this scale formation. Mills with high barium levels may see an increase in barium sulfate scale if the pH in the first chlorine dioxide stage is lowered.

3. Integrating Managers into Environmental Management Systems

AUTHOR Giles, Franklin

SOURCE Environmental Quality Management, v14 n4, Summer 2005, pp31-38

ABSTRACT This article discusses the role that managers play in implementing effective environmental management systems. The bottom line is that when implementing an EMS, you need the organization’s leaders on your side. If EMS implementation is to be successful, these leaders must use their influence— through daily conversations, business decisions, and even body language—to give their people encouragement and permission to actively participate in the EMS and improve environmental results. Managers play a key role in communicating the priorities of an organization. Often, they do this simply by asking about certain things but not about others. The clear message they send is that the subjects and results they ask about, review, measure, or respond to are urgent—and that others (no matter how prominently they appear on the company Website or in the mission statement) are not high priorities. As the old adage says, what gets measured gets done.

4. Organic Solar Cells

AUTHOR Manuel, John

SOURCE Environmental Health Perspectives, v113 n5, May 2005, pA301

ABSTRACT Photovoltaic cells that convert sunlight into electricity have been around for decades, yet their commercial use has been largely limited to applications where conventional electric power is difficult or impossible to provide, such as lighting of road signs and offshore buoys. The problem is primarily economic--although sunlight is free, the high cost of manufacturing traditional silicon-based solar cells has limited their penetration into markets where coal, nuclear, and other nonrenewable sources currently provide more economical energy. Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a new type of solar cell that may someday change that equation. Bernard Kippelen, a professor in the Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics and the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Georgia Tech, is leading studies into the use of pentacene as a medium for converting sunlight to electricity. Pentacene, a compound of carbon and hydrogen, can form a crystalline film in which molecules assemble in an ordered pattern. This makes the compound more conducive to the flow of electricity than the disordered organic compounds that have been tested in the past for possible photovoltaic applications. Improved conductivity leads to higher efficiency, and if that quality can be combined with low cost of manufacture and ease of use, the material holds great promise.

5. Socially Responsible Investment Analysts Find More Large U.S. Companies Reporting on Social and Environmental Issues

SOURCE Social Investment Research Analyst Network (SIRAN)

ABSTRACT A growing number of the largest publicly traded U.S. companies are reporting annually on their environmental and social performance just as they do on their financial performance, according to a new study by the Social Investment Research Analysts Network (SIRAN). Among the key findings of a SIRAN analysis of the reporting practices companies in the S&P 100 Index: • More than half of the S&P 100 Index (58 companies) have special sections of their websites dedicated to sharing information about their social and environmental policies and performance. • Almost 40 percent of the S&P 100 Index (39 companies) now issue annual corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports. • Nearly a quarter of the S&P 100 Index (24 companies) say they base their CSR reports on the widely recognized external standard provided by the Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) Sustainability Reporting Guidelines. Twenty of the companies included an index to GRI indicators in their reports. Six of the companies met the highest standard of reporting fully “in accordance” with the GRI guidelines. • Of those companies issuing annual CSR reports, 62% say their reports are based on the GRI standards, and just over half (51%) include an index to GRI indicator. This study builds on a special joint statement issued late last year by a coalition of analysts at 18 socially responsible investment firms representing over $230 billion in assets, which urged companies to report annually on their key social and environmental policies, practices and performance.

6. Incineration Testing ECAs Signed

SOURCE United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

ABSTRACT On July 8, 2005, the Environmental Protection Agency published two enforceable consent agreements (ECAs) for laboratory-scale incineration testing on fluoropolymers and fluorotelomers. These ECAs will produce data that will assist the Agency in determining whether the end-of-life incineration of fluoropolymers and fluorotelomer-treated products may be a source of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in the environment. PFOA is a man-made chemical of concern to the Agency because it is persistent in the environment and has shown adverse effects in animal testing. PFOA has been found at very low levels in the blood of the general U.S. population, and the chemical remains in the human body for years. EPA is investigating PFOA to learn whether it may present risks to human health and the environment. As part of that investigation, the Agency must identify the sources of PFOA in the environment and the pathways leading to human and environmental exposures in order to determine how to control and reduce any risks that PFOA may present. PFOA is used in the manufacture of fluoropolymers, and may be a breakdown product of some fluorotelomers. Fluoropolymers are used in a wide variety of industrial and consumer products, including non-stick cookware, chemical and fire-resistant cables and tubing, and waterproof, breathable clothing. Fluorotelomers are used as surface application treatments on carpets, textiles, paper, leather, and construction materials to provide water, stain, grease, and soil resistance properties, and may be used as surfactants in cleaning and coating products. The ECA testing will help determine whether the chemicals used in these items may break down to release PFOA if they are disposed of in municipal incinerators. The principal test sponsor for the fluoropolymer incineration testing ECA is the Fluoropolymer Manufacturers Group (FMG). The companies within FMG that signed the ECA and committed to the testing are AGC Chemicals Americas, Inc., Daikin America, Inc., Dyneon, LLC, and E.I. duPont de Nemours and Company. The principal test sponsor for the fluorotelomer incineration ECA is the Telomer Research Program (TRP). The TRP companies that signed the ECA and committed to the testing are AGC Chemicals Americas, Inc., Clariant GmbH, Daikin America, Inc., and E.I. duPont de Nemours and Company. The sponsors and signatory companies pay for the testing. The laboratory hired to conduct the testing must comply with the test standards specified in the ECA and conduct the testing in accordance with the EPA Good Laboratory Practice Standards (GLPS) found at 40 CFR part 792.

7. New Generation of Alkyl Phenol-Free Nonionic Surfactants for Emulsion Polymerization

AUTHORS Fernandez, Ana Maria; Saint Victor, Marie Esther; Held, Uwe; Breuer, Wolfgang H.

SOURCE PCI Paint & Coatings Industry, v21 n7, July 2005, pp76-89

ABSTRACT Disponil® AFX emulsifiers have been developed in response to increasing global environmental protection regulations and recommendations to phase out the use of Alkyl Phenol Ethoxylates (APEs). These new products have been designed to meet environmental requirements while providing effective performance in emulsion polymerization. About 10 years ago, Henkel Corporation, now Cognis Corporation, developed a family of nonionic green surfactants for emulsion polymerization called the Disponil A Series. They were developed as alternatives to traditionally used APEs and synthetic Alcohol Ethoxylates (synthetic AEs).Last year, an upgrade of European toxicological regulations resulted in a new safety label for the low-molecular-weight products in the Disponil A series. This additional eco-toxicological labeling prompted Cognis to develop a second generation of nonionic surfactants called Disponil AFXs. Although the Disponil A products will continue to be manufactured, it is important to note the added benefits of the new series. Disponil AFX emulsifiers have better performance, cost effectiveness and lower toxicity than many other commercial nonionic surfactants. Similar to the first generation, the introduction of these new emulsifiers responded to the emulsion polymerization industry demands for ecologically acceptable and effective nonionic emulsifiers.

8. European Parliament Votes to Ban Phthalates in Toys

AUTHOR Scott, Alex

SOURCE Chemical Week, v167 n23, July 13, 2005, p12

ABSTRACT The European Parliament has voted to permanently ban the use of six phthalate plasticizers in children’s toys and certain child care products. The governments of European Union (EU) member states are expected to endorse the parliament’s stance and bring the proposed ban into effect. EU governments will vote on the proposal at the European Council of Ministers this fall. The European Council for Plasticizers and Intermediates (ECPI; Brussels), an industry body, says that any ban on the six phthalates is “unnecessary and ignores scientific risk assessments.” DINP, the only phthalate used widely in toys, was recently assessed by European Commission scientists and found not to pose a risk to children, ECPI says. Environmental groups say the parliament’s decision is based on scientific evidence.

9. IC Materials Change to Meet Environmental Standards

AUTHOR Romm, Doug

SOURCE Electronic Products, v48 n2, July 2005, pp79-80

ABSTRACT As the July 1, 2006, "Restriction on Use of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment,"or "RoHS” European Union legislation deadline inches closer, design engineers and their integrated circuit (IC) suppliers are moving toward compliance. As virtually all IC manufactures are introducing new Pb-free materials, designers need to understand the new materials and how they may affect their product. The main impacts of the RoHS directive are implementation of Pb-free leadframe finishes, high-temperature capable materials sets, and possibly introduction of new "green" mold compounds. In order to satisfy the reflow demands of Pb free tin-silver-copper (SnAgCu) solders, IC suppliers had to implement packaging materials that meet the new peak reflow temperatures, which may increase from about 210°C to as high as 260°C. A few distinct Pb-free finish options have been adopted by IC component suppliers, and the materials are different for ball and leadframe type packages.

10. Nanotechnology for the Forest Products Industry: Vision and Technology Roadmap

AUTHORS Atalla, Rajai; Beecher, James; Caron, Robert; Catchmark, Jeffrey; Deng, Yulin; et al.

ABSTRACT The forest products industry relies on a vast renewable resource base to manufacture a wide array of products that are indispensable to our modern society. American paper and wood products companies produce over 225 million tons of products each year that touch every aspect of our lives, contribute over $240 billion per year to the gross domestic product, and employ over 1.1 million Americans. Emerging nanotechnologies offer the potential to develop entirely new approaches for producing engineered wood and fiber-based materials. They can also enable the development of a wide range of new or enhanced wood-based materials and products that offer cost-effective substitutes for non-renewable materials used in the manufacture of metallic, plastic, or ceramic products. Nanotechnology could transform the forest products industry in virtually all aspects—ranging from production of raw materials, to new applications for composite and paper products, to new generations of functional nanoscale lignocellulosics. Research and development (R&D) in nanotechnology is critically important to the economical and sustainable production of these new generations of forest-based materials—materials that will meet societal needs while improving forest health and contributing to the further expansion of the biomass-based economy.

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://greenlist.turi.org/ for greater topic coverage.

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Greenlist(tm) Bulletin 07/22/2005