Greenlist(tm) Bulletin 01/13/2006
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.
- Mazda, Nippon Paint Develop Eco-friendly Coating Process
- Tiny crystals promise big benefits for solar technologies
- Canada contemplates restrictions on well-loved stain repellents
- Household Consumption and the Environment
- Shiitake Mushrooms' Secret May Benefit Earth-Friendly Fuels
- Assessing the Reliability and Credibility of Industry Science and Scientists
- Biopesticides growing strong
- Concentrations of surface-dust metals in Native American jewelry-making homes in Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico
- Additives Annual: Enhancing Performance, Versatility and Processability of Polymers
- Toxic at Any Speed: Chemicals in Cars and the Need for Safer Alternatives
1. Mazda, Nippon Paint Develop Eco-friendly Coating Process
SOURCE
ABSTRACT An electro-deposition basecoat known as
e-coating that substantially reduces both volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and
carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions has been developed by Mazda Motor Corp., a major
Japanese automaker, in collaboration with Nippon Paint Co. Mazda had already
developed a "Three-Layer Wet Paint System" that combined the primer,
base and clear coats into one painting process, and introduced it to all its
plants in Japan. The new e-coating developed at this time significantly reduces
environment-impacting substances included for rust protection in the base coat
process. In the electro-deposition painting process, the vehicle body is
immersed in a paint tank and an electric current is passed through its steel
parts, causing the paint adhere to the steel surfaces. With conventional
paints, electrical currents pass through some parts more easily than others,
causing discrepancies in paint film thickness between the inside and outside
body surfaces. As a result, excess paint adhered to the outside body surface
while the inside body surface was insufficiently coated. The newly developed
e-coating has reduced the viscosity of the paint and raised its electrical
resistance, reducing the amount of electricity used during painting. This
provides sufficient paint thickness on inside surfaces and increases rust
protection, while excess paint accumulated on outer surfaces can be adjusted to
an appropriate level, allowing also for a reduction in total paint consumption.
Mazda plans to introduce this new paint to its four plants in
2. Tiny crystals promise big benefits for solar technologies
SOURCE Los Alamos National Laboratory, www.lanl.gov, Accessed January 12, 2006
ABSTRACT Los Alamos National Laboratory scientists have
discovered that a phenomenon called carrier multiplication, in which
semiconductor nanocrystals respond to photons by producing multiple electrons,
is applicable to a broader array of materials that previously thought. The
discovery increases the potential for the use of nanoscrystals as solar cell
materials to produce higher electrical outputs than current solar cells. In
papers published recently in the journals Nature Physics and Applied Physics
Letters, the scientists demonstrate that carrier multiplication is not unique
to lead selenide nanocrystals, but also occurs with very high efficiency in
nanocrystals of other compositions, such as cadmium selenide. In addition,
these new results shed light on the mechanism for carrier multiplication, which
likely occurs via the instantaneous photoexcitation of multiple electrons. Such
a process has never been observed in macroscopic materials and it explicitly
relies on the unique physics of the nanoscale size regime. The
3. Canada contemplates restrictions on well-loved stain repellents
AUTHOR Renner, Rebecca
SOURCE Environmental Science & Technology Online News, January 11, 2006
ABSTRACT Widely used stain repellants that keep fast-food
grease off clothes and nasty stains off carpets could be on their way out in
4. Household Consumption and the Environment
SOURCE European Environment Agency
DATE 2005
ABSTRACT A renewed policy focus on sustainable
consumption and production (SCP) can be observed, both at the global level and
in
5. Shiitake Mushrooms' Secret May Benefit Earth-Friendly Fuels
AUTHOR Wood, Marcia
SOURCE Agricultural Research Service, http://www.ars.usda.gov, November 29, 2005
ABSTRACT Fallen logs on the forest floor make a perfect
home for Shiitake mushrooms. These fungi--sold as a delicacy in the produce section
of your local supermarket--thrive on the downed wood, turning it into sugars
that they use for food. Now, Agricultural Research Service scientists in
6. Assessing the Reliability and Credibility of Industry Science and Scientists
AUTHOR Barrow, Craig S.; Conrad, James W., Jr.
SOURCE Environmental Health Perspectives, v114 n2, February 2006, pp153-155
ABSTRACT The chemical industry extensively researches and
tests its products to implement product stewardship commitments and to ensure
compliance with governmental requirements. In this commentary we argue that a
wide variety of mechanisms enable policymakers and the public to assure
themselves that studies performed or funded by industry are identified as such,
meet high scientific standards, and are not suppressed when their findings are
adverse to industry’s interests. The more a given study follows these practices
and standards, the more confidence one can place in it. No federal laws, rules,
or policies express a presumption that scientific work should be ignored or
given lesser weight because of the source of its funding. To the contrary,
Congress has consistently mandated that agencies allow interested or affected
parties to provide information to them and fairly consider that information.
All participants in scientific review panels should disclose sources of
potential biases and conflicts of interest. The former should be considered in
seeking a balanced panel rather than being used as a basis for
disqualification. Conflicts of interest generally do require disqualification,
except where outweighed by the need for a person’s services. Within these constraints,
chemical industry scientists can serve important and legitimate functions on
scientific advisory panels and should not be unjustifiably prevented from
contributing to their work.
7. Biopesticides growing strong
AUTHOR Lerner, Ivan
SOURCE Chemical Market Reporter, v268 n20, 19 December 2005 - 8 January 2006, pp26-27
ABSTRACT With pesticide regulatory action increasing and
consumers demanding more “organically” grown food, biopesticides are gaining
ground as viable replacements for pesticides. Some even have the potential to
replace the controversial fumigant methyl bromide. Analysts project that the
biopesticides market will reach $1 billion by 2010. The average pesticide is a
synthetic that needs to be used in large doses, and it usually directly kills
the specific pest. Biopesticides, on the other hand, are derived from natural
materials such as animals, plants, bacteria and certain minerals. Biopesticides
are said to be effective in smaller doses and to have a quicker rate of
decomposition than synthetic pesticides. According to the US Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), even canola oil and baking soda have pesticidal
applications and are considered biopesticides. There are three kinds of
biopesticides: microbial, plant-incorporated, and biochemical. Microbial
pesticides consist of a microorganism (such as a bacterium, fungus, virus or
protozoan) as the active ingredient. Plant-incorporated protectants are
pesticidal substances that plants produce from genetic material that has been
added to the plant. Biochemical pesticides are naturally occurring substances
that control pests by nontoxic mechanisms, including insect sex pheromones (which
interfere with pest mating), as well as various scented plant extracts that
attract insects into traps.
8. Concentrations of surface-dust metals in Native American jewelry-making homes in Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico
AUTHOR Gonzales M; Shah V.; Bobelu A.; Qualls, C; Natachu, K; Bobelu, J.; Jamon, E.; Neha, D.; Paine, S.; Zager, P.
SOURCE Archives of Environmental Health, v59 n5, May 2004, pp245-249
ABSTRACT This pilot study was conducted to identify the
metals used by home-based Native American jewelry makers, to quantify the
metals in dust samples taken from jewelers' homes, and to compare these
concentrations with background levels from control homes in which jewelry was
not made. Participants were recruited from Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico. Surface
dust samples were collected from the work and living areas of 20 jewelers'
homes, and from the living areas of 20 control homes. Silver, copper, tin, boron,
nickel, zinc, lead, and cadmium were significantly higher in work areas than in
living areas of jewelry-making homes (p < or = 0.02). Silver, copper,
nickel, and antimony were significantly higher in living areas of jewelers'
homes compared with control homes (p < or = 0.04). Ventilation measures did
not effectively reduce metal concentrations in jewelers' homes; concentrations
in nonwork areas remained elevated.
9. Additives Annual: Enhancing Performance, Versatility and Processability of Polymers
AUTHOR Stewart, Richard
SOURCE Plastics Engineering, v61 n11, November 2005, pp18-30
ABSTRACT Plastics additives enhance the performance,
versatility, and processability of polymers. They enable resins to be tailored
to meet the precise needs of applications—strengthened by adding
reinforcements, given a unique look by introducing colorants and other
aesthetic property modifiers, made resistant to harmful environmental effects
through the addition of stabilizers. This report covers recent developments in
the major additive categories, with the exception of flame retardants, which
will be the subject of a feature article in the February 2006 issue of Plastics
Engineering. Products are grouped alphabetically by functional type and
manufacturer.
10. Toxic at Any Speed: Chemicals in Cars and the Need for Safer Alternatives
AUTHOR Gearhart, Jeff; Posselt, Hans
SOURCE The
DATE 2006
ABSTRACT When most people think about auto safety,
seatbelts and air bags likely come to mind. But cars also pose hidden hazards
that endanger drivers and passengers even before turning on the ignition.
Chemicals used to make seat cushions, arm rests, floor coverings and plastic
parts can break down into toxic dust that is inhaled, becoming a serious health
risk. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), indoor air
pollution is one of the top five environmental risks to public health. Next to
homes and offices, Americans spend the greatest amount of time in their
cars—more than 100 minutes per day on average. This study by the
COPYRIGHT © 2006 by the TURI Library University of Massachusetts Lowell
This page updated Friday January 20 2006