Greenlist(tm) Bulletin 10/27/2006 / Greenlist Bulletin Archives: 2006 Issues / Greenlist(tm) Bulletin / Library / TURI - TURI

Greenlist(tm) Bulletin 10/27/2006

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.

Titles here, abstracts below them:

Risks to Asthma Posed by Indoor Health Care Environments: A Guide to Identifying and Reducing Problematic Exposures
Sweetening up Plastics
Green chemistry for sustainable cement production and use
Chromatics to discontinue production of heavy metal-based colorants
Oregon Readies Online Pesticide System
'Green' Roof Shows Its Stuff
Toxic Waste Overseas Opens Eyes
Review of Safety Practices in the Nanotechnology Industry. Phase One Report: Current Knowledge and Practices Regarding Environmental Health and Safety in the Nanotechnology Workplace
Di-(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate Enhances Atopic Dermatitis-Like Skin Lesions in Mice
Communicating Risk-Risk to the Public: The Case of the Health Benefits and Risks from Eating Seafood

1. Risks to Asthma Posed by Indoor Health Care Environments: A Guide to Identifying and Reducing Problematic Exposures

DATE 2006

SOURCE Health Care Without Harm

ABSTRACT Information garnered from contemporary literature plainly indicates that patients, staff, and visitors to hospitals and clinics can all experience some degree of risk to asthma. In light of the fact that people tend to think of hospitals and clinics as places of sanctuary from suffering and illness, it is astonishing to consider that spending time in a health care facility exposes individuals to health risks. An accumulation of evidence supports the concern that some substances typically utilized or found in health care facilities can be asthmagens (agents that cause asthma de novo) or triggers to asthma. The good news is that steps can readily be taken to mitigate risk due to these harmful exposures. This guide focuses on eleven key agents of concern with respect to their properties as potential risk factors for asthma; we then take an extensive look at alternative practices and products that can decrease potential harm. The prevalence of asthma in children and adolescents has risen by a staggering 25-75% per decade since 1960. While the prevalence of asthma in adults is unclear, asthma induced or significantly exacerbated by work exposures has emerged as the most commonly reported occupational lung condition, and it is estimated that 10-23% of new adult onset asthma in this country is due to occupational exposures. Awareness of these statistics should propel us into action; it is time to ask ourselves how the indoor environment created by individual facilities is contributing to adverse health outcomes. Ironically, many products that are used in hospitals to keep patients, visitors, and personnel safe from pathogens represent some of the very same products that have some potential to cause or exacerbate asthma in susceptible individuals. We must reconsider the safety of certain practices that have long been believed to generate an established standard of care. Our creativity and commitment are both necessary for the maintenance of high standards as we investigate an array of safer options.

WEB LINK http://www.noharm.org/details.cfm?type=document&ID=1315

2. Sweetening up Plastics

AUTHOR Wood, Andrew

SOURCE Chemical Week, v168 n23, July 5/12, 2006, p27

ABSTRACT Researchers from the University of Wisconsin (UW) say they have developed a simple process for turning fructose, the sugar found in fruit, into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), a potential intermediate to make industrial chemicals and polymers. The use of biphasic systems, in which an immiscible organic solvent is added to continuously extract HMF from the aqueous phase, has been investigated, but they suffer from poor partitioning of HMF into the organic streams. The UW scientists used a modified biphasic system that overcomes these problems. By adding dimethyl sulfoxide and/or polyvinyl pyrollidone to the aqueous phase, the scientists were able to suppress the unwanted side reactions.

3. Green chemistry for sustainable cement production and use

AUTHOR Phair, John

SOURCE Green Chemistry, v8 n9, September 2006, pp763-780

ABSTRACT Concrete is in desperate need of revitalisation in the 21st century due to growing durability, maintenance and environmental concerns. Improving the cement within concrete is an essential part of addressing these concerns. While Portland cement manufacture and use can still undergo slight environmental improvements, great opportunities lie in the utilisation of cements based on alternative compositions, binding-phases and green chemistry. This allows cement to be synthesised from a variety of materials including recycled resources and mineral wastes, which reduces the energy demands during production. The present work introduces industrial ecology and the principles of green chemistry as a means of driving the research, development and commercial attractiveness of alternative and sustainable cements. Three promising alternative cements are reviewed (alkali-activated cements, magnesia cements and sulfoaluminate cements) and compared to blended ordinary Portland cements in terms of their chemistry and properties. Emphasis is given to the material properties, durability, performance and applications of the ‘‘greener’’ alternative cements. It is clear that alternative cements have considerable potential in terms of environmental, engineering and economic properties.

4. Chromatics to discontinue production of heavy metal-based colorants

SOURCE Wire Journal International, v39 n10, October 2006, p14

ABSTRACT Chromatics Inc. announced that it has discontinued production of color concentrate offerings based on heavy metal-based pigment technology, and that by the end of this year it will establish “a 100% (RoHS) compliant product line.” “The formulation of RoHS-compliant pigments into fluoropolymers represented a significant challenge in terms of temperature stability and performance,” said Ralph Marcario, Chromatics’ director of sales and marketing. “At this point, completely eliminating our historical cadmium or lead-based alternatives further underscores our commitment to our customers to establish ours as a 100% compliant operation,” Marciano said in the release. Chromatics Inc. manufactures fluoropolymer color concentrates and compounds, as well as dispersed pigments for PTFE extrusion and printing inks. Its U.S. headquarters are based in Bethel, Connecticut.

5. Oregon Readies Online Pesticide System

SOURCE KTVZ.com, October 19, 2006

ABSTRACT The development of an online statewide pesticide use reporting system in Oregon is nearly complete. The state agency responsible for the system is taking steps to prepare those who will need to report their pesticide use. The Oregon Pesticide Use Reporting System (PURS) will be fully operational and available to pesticide users in January 2007. A special preview of the system should be available next month, giving pesticide users an opportunity to become acquainted with how it works. The Oregon Pesticide Use Reporting System will collect, summarize, retain, and report information on pesticide use by all categories of users- from agricultural users to urban residents. Homeowner use information is being collected through a survey while other pesticide users will need to report electronically to ODA's Web site. PURS will provide information on what pesticides are being used in Oregon, in what quantities, and generally where they are being applied. The law, originally passed in 1999, requires each pesticide user to file reports at least once a year. The collection of data will climax with a yearly statewide report issued by ODA. Those required to report include any person who uses or applies a pesticide in the course of business, or for a government entity, or in a location that is intended for public use or access. Examples of pesticide users would be those in agriculture, forestry, government agencies, utility companies, pest control companies, and landlords or managers of hotels, motels, restaurants and other business properties. The location of pesticide applications is one important piece of information required by PURS. For urban sites, that location will be reported by ZIP code. For others, the location will be reported by water basin. Those pesticide use reporters will need to know their specific basin. Online maps at the PURS Web site can help.

WEB LINK http://www.ktvz.com/story.cfm?nav=oregon&storyID=16994

6. 'Green' Roof Shows Its Stuff

AUTHOR Challender, Mary

SOURCE Des Moines Register, October 23, 2006

ABSTRACT From the fourth floor of the Masonic Temple fire escape, the "green" roof of the Central Library in downtown Des Moines looks less like the latest revolution in environmentally friendly design and more like something intimately familiar to Iowans - a large open farm field. The browns and muted greens of the roof's fall foliage are accented here and there by swatches of burgundy and tall billowy plumes the color of wheat. Although the library opened its doors 6 1/2 months ago, exactly what lies atop the two-story coppery-skinned building is still a mystery even to many regular patrons. The roof can't be seen from the ground, and there is no public access within the library. One thing that may surprise many Des Moines residents about the roof is that there is absolutely no grass. The idea that the library would feature a lawn-type roof was accidentally planted in people's heads by British architect David Chipperfield, said Kay Runge, director of the Des Moines Public Library. In England, she said, just about everything green is called grass. So when Chipperfield referred to a grass roof in 2002, Iowans immediately began wondering how often it would need to be mowed or if the library might rely on billy goats instead. Actually, the library roof is planted with variegated sedum, a type of leaf succulent more similar to cacti than grass. Succulents are ideal for green roofs because they have closely knit root systems that choke out weeds and the hardiness to withstand even the worst of Iowa winters. The library didn't spend an extra $750,000 on a planted roof simply for aesthetic reasons. It was part of an overall focus on energy efficiency that included things such as the glazed, copper-mesh glass to help filter out the sun, lights that automatically dim when the day gets brighter, and high-efficiency boilers and water cooling systems. Runge said those features have earned the library $82,000 in rebates from MidAmerican Energy.

WEB LINK http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/
20061023/LIFE/610230316/1039/life

7. Toxic Waste Overseas Opens Eyes

AUTHOR Pitman, Todd

SOURCE Detroit Free Press, October 23, 2006

ABSTRACT Not long after hundreds of tons of toxic waste were jettisoned around Ivory Coast's main city under cover of darkness, Jean-Jacques Kakou and thousands of others awoke to an overpowering stench that burned the eyes and made it hard to breathe. Three weeks later, Kakou was dead -- one of at least 10 deaths authorities suspect were linked to dumping that has thrown light on a growing global trade in hazardous waste. Poison is being shipped out of developed nations to the Third World despite international legislation. The so-called Basel Convention was amended in 1995 to include a ban on toxic waste shipments from industrialized nations, and experts say it has helped stem the flow of many kinds of chemical or industrial wastes to Africa and Asia. But other detritus from the developed world known as electronic waste -- discarded computers and TV sets -- is growing and may be a greater concern, environmental experts say. According to the United Nations, about 20 million to 50 million tons of e-waste is generated worldwide annually. Such waste contains toxins such as lead and mercury or other chemicals that can poison waterways if buried or release toxins into the air if burned. "Hazardous electronic waste is flowing to Africa on container ships every day. It's not as dramatic as was what happened in Ivory Coast, but over the long run it will have more of an environmental impact," said Jim Puckett, founder of the Seattle-based environmental watchdog, Basel Action Network. "More of it is being produced and it is still flowing down the path of least resistance -- from the rich countries to the poor," he said. Some African nations, including Ivory Coast, have failed to ratify the main amendment to the Basel Convention. Key nations such as the United States -- which produces the most hazardous waste per capita of any country -- have rejected it altogether.

WEB LINK http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/
20061023/NEWS07/610230437/1009/NEWS07

8. Review of Safety Practices in the Nanotechnology Industry. Phase One Report: Current Knowledge and Practices Regarding Environmental Health and Safety in the Nanotechnology Workplace

DATE 2006

SOURCE International Council on Nanotechnology (ICON); University of California, Santa Barbara

ABSTRACT The International Council on Nanotechnology (ICON) has issued a comprehensive review of existing efforts to develop “best practices” for handling nanomaterials in the workplace. The work was performed by researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) as part of a two-phase project to catalogue how industry is managing the potential occupational safety risks posed by nanomaterials. ICON, which paid for both phases of the project, is a coalition of academic, industrial, governmental and civil society organizations. ICON is administered by Rice University’s Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology (CBEN). The Phase 1 report, Current Knowledge and Practices regarding Environmental Health and Safety in the Nanotechnology Workplace, offers a review and analysis of existing efforts to develop “best practices.” This report finds that efforts to catalogue workplace practices have not systematically documented current environment, health and safety practices in a variety of workplace settings and geographies. Moreover, it finds that some existing documents are not publicly available. In the second phase of this project, the researchers interviewed a range of U.S. and international firms to produce an international snapshot of workplace practices in nanotechnology industries. ICON plans to issue a report of those findings Nov. 13. “This first report shows the need for better information about how industries are dealing with the unknowns about nanomaterials,” said ICON director Kristen Kulinowski. “The phase-two survey will shed light on existing practices so that a global dialogue can move forward on safe handling practices.”

WEB LINK http://cohesion.rice.edu/CentersAndInst/ICON/
emplibrary/Phase%20I%20Report_UCSB_ICON%20Final.pdf

9. Di-(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate Enhances Atopic Dermatitis-Like Skin Lesions in Mice

AUTHOR Takano, Hirohisa; Yanagisawa, Rie; Inoue, Ken-ichiro; Ichinose, Takmichi; Sadakane, Kaori; Yoshikawa, Toshikazu

SOURCE Environmental Health Perspectives, v114 n8, August 2006, pp1266-1269

ABSTRACT Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) has been widely used in polyvinyl chloride products and has become ubiquitous in the developed countries. DEHP reportedly displays an adjuvant effect on immunoglobulin production. However, it has not been elucidated whether DEHP is associated with the aggravation of atopic dermatitis. We investigated the effects of DEHP on atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions induced by mite allergen in NC/Nga mice. NC/Nga male mice were injected intradermally with mite allergen on their right ears. In the presence of allergen, DEHP (0, 0.8, 4, 20, or 100 µg) was administered by intraperitoneal injection. We evaluated clinical scores, ear thickening, histologic findings, and the protein expression of chemokines. Exposure to DEHP at a dose of 0.8–20 µg caused deterioration of atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions related to mite allergen ; this was evident from macroscopic and microscopic examinations. Furthermore, these changes were consistent with the protein expression of proinflammatory molecules such as macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha (MIP-1alpha) and eotaxin in the ear tissue in overall trend. In contrast, 100 µg DEHP did not show the enhancing effects. These results indicate that DEHP enhances atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions at hundred-fold lower levels than the no observed adverse effect level determined on histologic changes in the liver of rodents. DEHP could be at least partly responsible for the recent increase in atopic dermatitis.

WEB LINK http://www.ehponline.org/members/2006/8985/8985.html

10. Communicating Risk-Risk to the Public: The Case of the Health Benefits and Risks from Eating Seafood

AUTHOR Storey, Maureen L.; Forshee, Richard A.; Anderson, Patricia A.; Miller, Sanford A.

DATE 2006

SOURCE Center for Food, Nutrition and Agriculture Policy (CFNAP), University of Maryland - College Park

ABSTRACT Seafood consumption is associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have also concluded that consumption of certain types of fish may increase certain health risks for women of childbearing age and their infants and young children because of methylmercury contamination. Communicating this information to consumers in a way that allows them to appropriately balance these two risks has proven difficult. Consumer research conducted over the last two years has demonstrated significant confusion among consumers about the relative benefits and risks of seafood consumption. This Ceres™ white paper reviews the risk communication challenges for seafood consumption as a case study of the more general problem of risk-risk communication when consumption of a food is associated with a decrease in some risks and an increase in others. We recommend that the case of seafood consumption be used as an opportunity to increase our understanding of effective risk-risk communication to the public about foods. Such an effort could reduce the current confusion among consumers about seafood consumption and provide important new research to shape future risk-risk communication efforts for similar situations.

WEB LINK http://www.agresearch.umd.edu/CFNAP/Outreach/
Comments%20and%20Testimony/
CFNAP_Seafood_Consumption_White_Paper_2006.pdf

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.

Compiled by the TURI Library, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 2006

This page updated Friday November 03 2006

TURI - Toxics Use Reduction Institute

Greenlist(tm) Bulletin 10/27/2006