Greenlist(tm) Bulletin 02/17/2006
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.
- ACSH Petitions EPA to Change on Risk Assessments for Carcinogens
- The Origin of Naturally Occurring Perchlorate: The Role of Atmospheric Processes
- Printed Electronics Roll Off the Presses
- UCLA Develops New Testing Method to Assess Safety, Health Risks of Nanomaterials
- Tert-Butyl Acetate (TBAC): A Technical Overview and Regulatory Update on the Latest VOC-Exempt Solvent
- Risk Assessment Studies on Targeted Consumer Applications of Certain Organotin Compounds
- Bottled Water: Pouring Resources Down the Drain
- Our Children at Risk
- NatureWorks LLC Announces North American “Buy Back” Program for Post-Consumer Bottles Made from PLA
- Managing Manure to Improve Air and Water Quality
1. ACSH Petitions EPA to Change on Risk Assessments for Carcinogens
AUTHOR Sissell, Kara
SOURCE Chemical Week, v168 n4, February 1, 2006, p36
ABSTRACT The American Council on Science and Health
(ACSH;
2. The Origin of Naturally Occurring Perchlorate: The Role of Atmospheric Processes
AUTHOR Dasgupta, Purnendu K.; Martinangelo, P. Kalyani; Jackson, W. Andrew; Anderson, Todd A.; Tian, Kang; Tock, Richard W.; Rajagopalan, Srinath
SOURCE Environmental Science & Technology, v39 n6, 2005, pp1569-1575
ABSTRACT Perchlorate, an iodide uptake inhibitor, is
increasingly being detected in new places and new matrices. Perchlorate
contamination has been attributed largely to the manufacture and use of
ammonium perchlorate (the oxidizer in solid fuel rockets) and/or the earlier
use of Chilean nitrate as fertilizer (0.1% perchlorate). However, there are
regions such as the southern high plains (Texas Panhandle) where there is no
clear historical or current evidence of the extensive presence of rocket fuel
or Chilean fertilizer sources. The occurrence of easily measurable
concentrations of perchlorate in such places is difficult to understand. In the
southern high plains groundwater, perchlorate is better correlated with iodate,
known to be of atmospheric origin, compared to any other species. We show that
perchlorate is readily formed by a variety of simulated atmospheric processes.
For example, it is formed from chloride aerosol by electrical discharge and by
exposing aqueous chloride to high concentrations of ozone. We report that
perchlorate is present in many rain and snow samples. This strongly suggests
that some perchlorate is formed in the atmosphere and a natural perchlorate
background of atmospheric origin should exist.
3. Printed Electronics Roll Off the Presses
AUTHOR Hariharan, Malini
SOURCE Chemical Market Reporter, v269 n5, 6-12 February 2006, pp20-21
ABSTRACT With sales of just a few million dollars, the
printable electronics industry is still at an early stage. But interest is
steadily growing, and chemical companies are investing time and money to
explore the opportunities. Printable electronics refers to circuitry created
out of conductive polymer and nano metallic inks. Some analysts predict that
the printable electronics market could be a $30 billion industry by 2015,
driven by demand for RFIDs, displays and other products. The growth of
printable electronics should create new opportunities for chemical companies at
the bottom of the supply chain those that can offer inks, solvents, adhesives
and plastic substrates. While printable electronics holds potential, companies
looking to participate in this sector will have to be patient as the consensus
is that revenues will be relatively meager for the next few years.
4. UCLA Develops New Testing Method to Assess Safety, Health Risks of Nanomaterials
SOURCE
ABSTRACT Shades of science fiction surround the potential
of the booming nanotechnology industry, like Michael Crichton's novel
"Prey," which features tiny nano-robots threatening to take over the
world. Fiction of course, but nanotechnology is rapidly expanding and promises
to exceed the impact of the Industrial Revolution, projecting to become a $1
trillion market by 2015. UCLA has developed a new testing method that would
help manufacturers monitor and test the safety and health risks of engineered
nanomaterials. Currently, no government or industry regulations exist for this
emerging technology. A review article in the Feb. 3 issue of the journal
Science by Dr. Andre Nel, professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of
Medicine at UCLA and a member of the California NanoSystems Institute, presents
a compelling discussion on the potential toxic effects of nanomaterials and the
urgent need for developing safety testing. The ability of nanotechnology to
interact with biological materials leads to the possibility that they may be
harmful to humans and the environment. Current understanding of the potential
toxicity of nanoparticles is limited, but research indicates that some of these
products may enter the human body and become toxic at the cellular level, in
various body fluids, tissues and/or organs. Recognizing a need to develop a
rational, science-based approach to nanotoxicology, Nel and his UCLA team have
developed a new testing method to assess the safety and health risks of
engineered nanomaterials. Nel also is establishing NanoSafety Laboratories Inc.
in association with the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA to help
manufacturers assess the safety and risk profiles of engineered nanomaterials.
The testing model developed at UCLA is based on toxicity testing for
occupational and air pollution particles, which include nanoparticles.
Nanoparticles are the most toxic ingredient in these environmental pollutants.
A mature toxicological science has emerged from the study of these particles,
providing a framework for a predictive testing strategy applicable to
engineered nanomaterials. A predictive strategy is one in which a series of
simple but high-quality tests can be employed to predict which materials could
be hazardous, and therefore speed up the process of classifying materials into
those that are safe and those that could pose toxicity problems. This type of
approach is similar to that used by the National Toxicology Program for
evaluation of chemical agents. Nel's model predicts toxicity according to the
ability of some nanoparticles to generate toxic oxygen radicals, which are
highly reactive forms of oxygen that can cause tissue injury, including
inflammation and other toxic effects. For air pollution particles, this injury
can translate into asthma and atherosclerotic heart disease. Using this model,
Nel's laboratory has developed a series of tests to assess nanoparticle
toxicity in non-biological environments as well as in tissue cultures and
animal models.
5. Tert-Butyl Acetate (TBAC): A Technical Overview and Regulatory Update on the Latest VOC-Exempt Solvent
AUTHOR Pourreau, Daniel B.
SOURCE PCI Paint & Coatings Industry, v22 n1, January 2006, pp32-37
ABSTRACT In December 2004, the U.S. EPA granted Lyondell
Chemical Company’s 1997 petition to add TBAC to the list of VOC-exempt
compounds.1 This action ended an eight-year process during which the company
was asked to demonstrate that TBAC not only had negligible photochemical
reactivity, the official requirement for exemption, but that it also had low
toxicity and was not likely to have other adverse environmental impacts. With
its final rule, the EPA created a new class of VOCs for low-reactivity
compounds like TBAC. This new category of exempt compounds requires users to
report their emissions, but does not limit their use of the solvent.
Fortunately, this requirement does not create a significant reporting burden
for companies, since most are already required to report their VOC emissions.
It has, however, complicated the state exemption process. For example, some
states that made reference to the federal definition to automatically add new
exempt compounds, now have to undertake rulemaking to add TBAC. The federal
exemption last December marked the beginning of a similar and, fortunately,
more expeditious process at the state level. This article attempts to bring the
reader up-to-date on the current status of the TBAC exemption and provides a
technical overview of the coating technologies where TBAC will likely become an
important HAP and VOC compliance tool.
6. Risk Assessment Studies on Targeted Consumer Applications of Certain Organotin Compounds
AUTHOR Risk & Policy Analysts Limited (RPA)
SOURCE European Commission
DATE 2005
ABSTRACT Organostannic (organotin) compounds are
substances composed of tin, directly bound to a number of organic groups. In
the context of this Report, consideration is given to di and tri-substituted
organotins (with, respectively, two and three organic groups bound to the tin
atom). Di-substituted compounds are used as stabilisers for PVC and as
catalysts for various products. Historically, tri-substituted organotins were
used as biocides and pesticides. The main use was in anti-fouling paints
applied to ship hulls. Although the use of tri-substituted organotins in most
former applications is now prohibited, small amounts of tributyltin (TBT) are
still used as a biocide. The European Commission contracted Risk & Policy
Analysts Ltd. (RPA) to study possible risks from the application of
organostannic compounds in areas outside of their use as a biocide in
anti-fouling systems, as well as to describe the broad economic profile of the
organotins industry. This report provides a revision of an earlier report. The
derived numerical values for the predicted intake, the tolerable daily intake
(TDI) and the associated TDI percentage which the predicted intake represents
are presented in both the earlier Report and this Report. In this Report, risks
to consumers are based on a group TDI (in other words, the organotins are
considered to act in combination rather than individually). In general terms,
the risks to child consumers are higher than those for adult consumers. Of note
is that the use of the group TDI leads (in the worst case) to exposures in
excess of the TDI (even after risk reduction measures) for the intake of
organotins:; in fish and fishery products (assuming that the intake per kg
bodyweight is four times that for adults); via the environment in the proximity
of certain production/processing facilities; present in household dust; and
from PVC prints on T-shirts (and other child clothing). Aggregating the various
exposure routes suggests that the overall exposure for 70% of young child
consumers will exceed the group TDI, while the ‘typical’ (median) 8kg child
consumer is exposed to about 160% of the TDI. Although arguments can be
advanced that there are uncertainties within each of the associated sets of
calculations, it would appear that the risks associated with the extensive and
varied use of organotins cannot be readily dismissed as negligible.
7. Bottled Water: Pouring Resources Down the Drain
AUTHOR Arnold, Emily
SOURCE Earth Policy Institute, www.earth-policy.org, February 2, 2006
ABSTRACT The global consumption of bottled water reached
154 billion liters (41 billion gallons) in 2004, up 57 percent from the 98
billion liters consumed five years earlier. Even in areas where tap water is
safe to drink, demand for bottled water is increasing—producing unnecessary
garbage and consuming vast quantities of energy. Although in the industrial
world bottled water is often no healthier than tap water, it can cost up to
10,000 times more. At as much as $2.50 per liter ($10 per gallon), bottled
water costs more than gasoline. The
8. Our Children at Risk
SOURCE Grassroots Environmental Education
DATE 2005
ABSTRACT Our Children at Risk is a 30-minute documentary
video which explores the latest scientific research linking environmental
toxins to children's health problems. Based on interviews with leading experts
in the field, this program helps parents understand the issues and learn what
they can do in their homes, schools and communities.
9. NatureWorks LLC Announces North American “Buy Back” Program for Post-Consumer Bottles Made from PLA
SOURCE NatureWorks LLC, www.natureworksllc.com, August 29, 2005
ABSTRACT NatureWorks LLC has announced plans to institute
a large-volume “buy-back” program in
10. Managing Manure to Improve Air and Water Quality
AUTHOR Aillery, Marcel; Gollehon, Noel; Johansson, Robert; Kaplan, Jonathan; Key, Nigel; Ribaudo, Marc
SOURCE United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service
DATE 2005
ABSTRACT Animal waste from confined animal feeding
operations is a potential source of air and water quality degradation.
Pollution from animal waste poses challenges to farmers and to resource
managers because it can affect multiple resources while environmental laws
typically focus only on a single resource. This report assesses the economic
and environmental tradeoffs between water quality policies and air quality
policies that could require the animal sector to take potentially costly
measures to abate pollution, based on a farm-level analysis of hog farms, a
national analysis including all sectors, and a regional assessment in an area
with high animal numbers.
Compiled by the TURI Library, University of Massachusetts Lowell
This page updated Friday February 24 2006