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Greenlist(tm) Bulletin 11/17/2006

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.

Titles here, abstracts below them:

Eco-Labels: The Consumers Union Guide to Environmental Labels
Implications of research on endocrine disruption for the environmental risk assessment, regulation and monitoring of chemicals in the European Union
Kinking Out the Iron
Hospitals clean out allergy, asthma triggers
Process Turns Soy Oil Into Hydrogen
Causes of Variability in Concentrations of Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers in Indoor Air
Unfamiliar Exposure
2006 Automotive Plastics Report Card: The Policies and Practices of Eight Leading Automakers
Promoting Green Purchasing: Tools and Resources to Quantify the Benefits of Environmentally Preferable Purchasing
Salt Lake District Schools Cut Pesticide Use, Find Fewer Pests

1. Eco-Labels: The Consumers Union Guide to Environmental Labels

DATE 2006

SOURCE Consumers Union

ABSTRACT Learn more about products that are eco-labeled compared to those that are conventionally farmed or produced, keep track of labels recently added, compare labels quickly with a shorthand report card and print easily to use while shopping, sign up to register for specific news updates and much more! The purpose of this site is to provide information to consumers regarding eco-labels, products that carry eco-labels, the organizations that produce eco-labels, and government and private standards for "green" products. Our goal is to help consumers make more informed choices in the marketplace, and participate more effectively as citizens in important decisions that affect the environment. Descriptions of each label program were derived from information provided by the certifying organizations. For any information not available to the public for free, Consumers Union paid the certifying organizations its standard fees. Although we have no way to independently verify the accuracy of the information provided to us, our review criteria and all evaluative statements based on this information reflect Consumers Union's independent research and analysis..

'WEB LINK' http://www.eco-labels.org/home.cfm

2. Implications of research on endocrine disruption for the environmental risk assessment, regulation and monitoring of chemicals in the European Union

AUTHOR Matthiessen, Peter; Johnson, Ian

SOURCE Environmental Pollution, Article In Press, Online September 20, 2006

ABSTRACT We assess the implications which research on endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) has for the regulation of synthetic substances and for the protection of the environment, particularly under the forthcoming European Union (EU) REACH legislation. EDCs present regulatory problems inter alia because they can act additively at concentrations which are individually harmless, and they may have non-classical dose (concentration)-response relationships at low exposure levels. Furthermore, current in vivo testing routines were not specifically designed to assess the endocrine disrupting properties of chemicals, whilst in silico and in vitro methods have only limited applicability and availability for this purpose. We need to ensure that the assessment approaches specified in the draft REACH legislation and Technical Guidance are able to evaluate EDCs efficiently. However, it must also be recognised that environmental monitoring procedures in Europe will need to be improved to detect EDCs that have evaded identification, and where appropriate, control, under REACH.

3. Kinking Out the Iron

AUTHOR Berardelli, Phil

SOURCE ScienceNOW Daily News, 16 October 2006

ABSTRACT The United States could substantially reduce its reliance on iron ore mining in the future by recycling the huge amounts of iron contained in abandoned buildings and other sources, according to a new study. Researchers examined what they call the U.S. iron cycle between 1900 and 2004 and calculated that about 3.2 billion tons of the metal is currently in use and therefore available for recycling. That's roughly equivalent to the known iron ore reserves remaining in the ground. U.S. iron ore reserves can meet demand for hundreds of years, but the quality of that ore has been declining, which means extracting it takes ever more energy and generates more environmentally damaging waste. At the same time, so-called obsolete sources of iron such as cargo containers are becoming eyesores as they accumulate. Experts say increased recycling could ease these problems. A team at Yale University found that several major sources of recyclable iron, such as the abandoned facilities and containers, are generally known to industry but not well quantified. The same goes for scrap iron sources such as old automobiles and machinery that are being purchased by foreign concerns and shipped out of the U.S. If the steel industry begins recycling these underexploited stores and if the U.S. continues to import significant amounts of iron in automobiles, machinery, and containers, then the country can maintain its production of steel--of which iron is the principal constituent--indefinitely while minimizing the need to mine more ore, says project leader and environmental scientist Daniel Muller.

'WEB LINK' http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2006/1016/2

4. Hospitals clean out allergy, asthma triggers

AUTHOR Brodkin, Jon

SOURCE Metrowest Daily News, October 22, 2006

ABSTRACT It's no surprise a severe asthma attack can force someone to go to the hospital. It might surprise some to learn chemicals and substances commonly found inside hospitals can cause asthma or trigger asthma attacks. Cleaning products, latex gloves, pesticides, dust, mold and even some medications can cause or exacerbate asthma, according to a report issued Wednesday by Health Care Without Harm, an international coalition of 450 groups trying to make the health care industry safer. "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," the report states. Low doses of certain chemicals can trigger attacks in asthma patients, said Polly Hoppin, a report co-author who directs the Environmental Health Initiative at UMass-Lowell. Janitors, nurses and laboratory technicians are also exposed to harmful chemicals, she said. Hospital officials have long been aware that cleaning chemicals and other substances may pose harm, even if they have not thought about the potential link to asthma, said Susan Macdonald, infection control practitioner at Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Newton-Wellesley officials have replaced many chemicals with safer alternatives. The challenge is finding replacements that are cost-effective and perform their tasks well, whether it be cleaning, disinfecting, sterilizing or killing bugs. "That's always the trick for hospitals," Macdonald said. "You're trying to balance the risk of the product and the chemical in question with its overall efficiency."

'WEB LINK' http://www.noharm.org/
details.cfm?type=news&ID=218&contentRegionKey=europe

5. Process Turns Soy Oil Into Hydrogen

DATE 2006

SOURCE Energy Daily, November 2, 2006

ABSTRACT A U.S. research team says it has invented a "reactive flash volatilization process" that converts soy oil and sugar into hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The mixture called synthesis gas, or syngas, is used to make chemicals and fuels, including gasoline, and the new process works up to 100 times faster than current technology. In addition, the University of Minnesota scientists say their new technology requires no fossil fuels and works in reactors at least 10 times smaller than current models. "It's a way to take cheap, worthless biomass and turn it into useful fuels and chemicals," said team leader Lanny Schmidt, a professor of chemical engineering and materials science. "Potentially, the biomass could be used cooking oil or even products from cow manure, yard clippings, cornstalks or trees." Schmidt and his colleagues -- graduate students James Salge, Brady Dreyer and Paul Dauenhauer -- have produced a pound of synthesis gas in just one day using their small-scale reactor. Schmidt gained national attention in February 2004, when a team he headed invented a similar technology to produce hydrogen from ethanol.

'WEB LINK' http://www.energy-daily.com/reports/
Process_Turns_Soy_Oil_Into_Hydrogen_999.html

6. Causes of Variability in Concentrations of Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers in Indoor Air

AUTHOR Hazrati, Sadegh; Harrad, Stuart

SOURCE Environmental Science & Technology Research ASAP, Online November 1, 2006

ABSTRACT Airborne concentrations of PCBs and PBDEs were measured in offices, homes, public environments, and cars. Variations in concentrations between different rooms in the same domestic and office buildings, showed some intra-building variability for both compound groups. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis revealed no clear and consistent relationships between log-normalized concentrations of PCBs and PBDEs in homes and offices and factors such as the number of personal computers. This is considered to reflect the complexity of relationships between indoor air contamination and microenvironment characteristics. The influence of personal computers was demonstrated when PBDE concentrations in one office fell appreciably following the exchange of a computer constructed in 1998 for one dating from 2003. Concentrations of PCBs in buildings constructed between 1950 and 1979 were significantly higher (p < 0.001) than in those constructed since. When two of the most contaminated cars were omitted as outliers, a significant (p < 0.01) positive linear relationship was detected between PBDE concentrations and vehicle age. Concentrations of PCBs and PBDEs were monitored throughout a calendar year in four homes and four offices. Although concentrations in warmer months usually exceeded those in colder months, seasonal variability in indoor contamination appears less significant than observed previously for outdoor air.

'WEB LINK' http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/abstract.cgi/
esthag/asap/abs/es0617082.html

7. Unfamiliar Exposure

AUTHOR Blaunstein, Robert

DATE 2006

SOURCE Insurance Networking News, November 1, 2006

ABSTRACT Emerging nanotechnologies have the potential to influence and change our lives in ways we could not have imagined as recently as a decade ago. A generic term for applications at the molecular level, nanotechnology will eventually influence every aspect of our lives; from the way we communicate to the methods used to diagnose and treat illness. Nanotechnology will improve efficiencies in energy, computer storage capacity and data processing, security, clothing, food, and shelter. The potential of nanotechnology is reflected by the amount of revenue currently projected for these technologies, between $1 trillion and $2 trillion within the next 10 to 15 years. And just in time, because according to World Resources 2000 and United Nations press releases, within the next 50 years-less than one lifetime-the world population is expected to grow by 50%, world economic activity is expected to grow 500% and world energy and materials use is expected to grow by 300%. The global ramifications of these projected numbers are staggering, and the development of new ways to respond to these burgeoning demands is critical. As optimistic as researchers may be, growing evidence suggests that nanoparticles - the building blocks of nanotechnology and the tiniest of materials ever engineered and produced - may pose environmental, health and safety risks, which in turn engenders the concern of the insurance and reinsurance industry. By helping businesses manage the risks associated with product development and deployment, the insurance industry has always been an "enabler" of new technology, an aspect often overlooked by the industry and its detractors. Consequently, if the insurance industry is to support these new nanotechnologies, while not incurring major long-term losses, the industry must be able to assess potential property damage, bodily injury to workers and the public, and the environmental liabilities associated with businesses handling and using nanomaterials. To be able to make such assessments the insurance industry needs to become educated and: * Understand nanomaterials and nanotechnologies, and have access to accurate data and information that permit a quantifiable evaluation of the probability and severity of losses; * Operate in a regulated environment so there are controls over the use and disposal of harmful nanomaterials.

'WEB LINK' http://www.insurancenetworking.com/protected/
article.cfm?articleId=4372

8. 2006 Automotive Plastics Report Card: The Policies and Practices of Eight Leading Automakers

AUTHOR Juska, Claudette

DATE 2006

SOURCE The Ecology Center

ABSTRACT According to the American Plastics Council, the average vehicle contains 250 pounds of plastic, which accounts for about 12% of a vehicle by weight. While this figure is already large, it stands to increase in coming years as new applications for polymers emerge. Of growing concern, a significant proportion of plastics are used inside the vehicle. Today, nearly 50% of vehicle interiors are made of polymers.3 This causes concern since many dangerous chemical additives are put into plastics. These additives off-gas or leach from the plastics, and contaminate the air and dust inside vehicles, which occupants breathe and touch. Also of concern, vehicle sales are increasing in the U.S., with a 2% increase in sales since 2003.4 This will eventually lead to an increased flow of plastics entering the waste stream at the end of vehicle life. Many of the plastics currently used are not easily recycled, thus they will likely end up in landfills or incinerators, where their chemical additives will contaminate land, water and air. If they happen to be recycled, they can pose health risks to workers at recycling facilities who handle the plastic scraps. With vehicles sales and plastics usage on the rise, the use of sustainable plastics is of increasing importance. Plastics need to be designed using bio-based, recyclable materials that are healthy and safe for workers, vehicle occupants and the environment. This report card is the second in a series of automotive plastics report cards. In it, we take a look at automakers’ policies and practices regarding plastics and determine how each company measures up.

'WEB LINK' http://www.ecocenter.org/sustainableplastics/
AutoPlastics_full06.pdf

9. Promoting Green Purchasing: Tools and Resources to Quantify the Benefits of Environmentally Preferable Purchasing

DATE 2006

SOURCE United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

ABSTRACT Federal government offices are directed by federal laws, regulations, and Executive Orders (E.O.s) to make purchasing decisions with the environment in mind. In order to help federal officials meet these requirements, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created an Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) Program, which has prepared a number of resources, available at http://www.epa.gov/epp/. As they implement the green purchasing requirements, federal managers need to consider costs and advantages before making changes in their procurement and operational practices. These choices are easier if the likely benefits of proposed acquisition decisions can be demonstrated. Federal offices also face growing pressure to set strategic goals and targets and demonstrate the value of their programs in quantitative terms. For example, EPA has set a series of goals to "green" EPA through implementation of several Executive Orders (particularly Executive Orders 13101, 13123, and 13149). This brief guide is designed to help federal offices meet these challenges. It identifies a series of existing tools and resources that can be used to help develop quantitative estimates of the projected benefits of making new EPP choices and document the estimated benefits of past EPP actions. The tools and other resources summarized here are the most useful ones we found which are currently available. They tend to focus on environmental benefits, although some address other areas such as cost savings. Some of the resources are calculators, where users can enter set inputs and obtain outputs estimating impacts in their situation. Other resources are guides, collections of policies, lists of products, data collection and tracking instruments, etc. The document is organized around EPA's "Greening" goal areas. For each goal, EPA's objectives are listed and types of benefits from meeting the goal are noted. For each area you will find a chart that identifies the tools, their source (e.g., web site), inputs, outputs, possible uses, and other information. At the end of the document is a list of acronyms and a few useful conversion factors.

'WEB LINK' http://www.epa.gov/epp/tools/epp_metrics.pdf

10. Salt Lake District Schools Cut Pesticide Use, Find Fewer Pests

AUTHOR Lyon, Julia

SOURCE The Salt Lake Tribune, November 6, 2006

ABSTRACT All the ickiest creatures you can think of are on the run these days in the Salt Lake City School District, and not because the district is flooding the hallways with scary-sounding pesticides. In fact, the district is doing just the opposite. It has reduced pesticide use by approximately 90 percent and more than halved the number of pest complaints at three pilot schools by participating in a program that makes children's health the priority. Chemicals are sprayed less often, and mice, bats and other critters are kept at bay using a sensible preventive approach. Salt Lake is the only district in Utah using the approach and is the first in the Rocky Mountains region to win recognition from the Environmental Protection Agency. The program, known as Integrated Pest Management, launched district-wide this fall. It is modeled after one started in a school district in Indiana. Pests and pesticides can damage children's health. Spraying pesticides has its own share of problems. So instead of being a regular thing, spraying of chemicals to kill pests is done on an as-needed basis now in Salt Lake. The district is educating staff about how to discourage insects and animals from turning schools into hotels. That is done by keeping food in sealed containers and removing clutter and cardboard that might make a good breeding ground. The district has worked to seal gaps in buildings that could make inviting doorways for creative critters. Custodians are expected to keep a pest ''log,'' a record of whatever pests they see evidence of. Not only is the program keeping kids and schools healthier, it is likely to save the district dollars in the long run, officials say. The district's efforts may be used as a model for others in Utah and the Rocky Mountain region.

'WEB LINK' http://www.sltrib.com/ci_4609945

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 December 01 2006

TURI - Toxics Use Reduction Institute

Greenlist(tm) Bulletin 11/17/2006