Greenlist(tm) Bulletin 05/11/2007
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:
- Environmentally friendly organic insulation uses mushroom spores
- Toxic trains and the terrorist threat
- Virtuous cycles
- Reviewing the environmental and human health knowledge base of carbon nanotubes
- Metabolix to develop sugarcane plastics
- 31 states target global warming
- Indoor air pollution takes heavy toll on health
- New duplex fouling release coating system works without toxins
- Towards a European Chemicals Information System: a survey on reported monitoring activities of chemicals in Europe
- Brewing a sustainable energy solution
1. Environmentally friendly organic insulation uses mushroom spores
Source: ScienceDaily, May 7, 2007
Abstract: Sky-rocketing oil prices, rising demand for reliance on renewable resources, and an increase in environmental consciousness have placed a newfound focus on “green” solutions to global energy issues. Following his May 19 graduation from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, student inventor Eben Bayer hopes to alleviate some of those growing issues – by growing. A dual major in mechanical engineering and product design and innovation, Bayer has developed an environmentally friendly organic insulation. The patented combination of water, flour, minerals, and mushroom spores could replace conventional foam insulations, which are expensive to produce and harmful to the environment.
“The insulation is created by pouring a mixture of insulating particles, hydrogen peroxide, starch, and water into a panel mold,” Bayer says. “Mushroom cells are then injected into the mold, where they digest the starch producing a tightly meshed network of insulating particles and mycelium. The end result is an organic composite board that has a competitive R-Value – a measurement of resistance to heat flow – and can serve as a firewall.” Bayer’s process resulted in a new energy-saving, cost-effective, environmentally friendly class of insulation that could replace traditional synthetic insulators such as foam and fiberglass. This spring he began working with fellow classmate Gavin McIntyre to produce larger samples using different substrates, insulating particles, and growth conditions.
Beyond insulation applications, the duo envision modifying the growing mixture slightly to include reinforcing materials that could be used to create strong, sustainable “growable” homes. Examples of this application include inexpensive structural panels that could be grown and assembled on-site in developing nations where usable housing is scarce and generally hard to obtain, or in disaster areas where temporary housing is essential. Together Bayer and McIntyre will be forming a company called Greensulate to commercialize the technology.
Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070506085628.htm
2. Toxic trains and the terrorist threat
Author: Orum, Paul
Source: Center for American Progress, April 2007
Abstract: Each year, thousands of tons of highly toxic chlorine gas travel by rail in the United States to drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities and other industries. These massive railcars traverse some 300,000 miles of freight railways, passing through almost all major American cities and towns. A rupture of one of these railcars could release a dense, lethal plume for miles downwind, potentially killing or injuring thousands of people.
The Department of Homeland Security and numerous security experts have repeatedly warned that terrorists could use industrial chemicals as improvised weapons of mass destruction—and indeed, terrorists recently attacked and blew up several trucks carrying chlorine in Iraq. In this respect, railcars of chlorine gas represent a distinct national security vulnerability. Yet Congress and the Bush administration have not acted to eliminate unnecessary uses of chlorine gas railcars even where undeniably affordable and practical alternatives exist.
To examine this vulnerability and encourage action, the Center for American Progress surveyed water utilities that still receive chlorine gas by rail, as well as utilities that since 1999 have eliminated chlorine railcars by switching to a less hazardous disinfectant. Just 37 drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities still receive chlorine gas by rail. More than 25 million Americans live in harm’s way near these facilities, while millions more live in cities and towns along the rail delivery routes.
The good news is this vulnerability can be removed. Since 1999, some 25 water utilities that formerly received chlorine gas by rail have switched to safer and more secure water treatment options, such as liquid bleach or ultraviolet light. These alternative treatment options eliminate the danger of a catastrophic toxic gas cloud. As a result, more than 26 million Americans who live near these facilities are safer and more secure. These conversions also remove the threat to communities along rail delivery routes. Railroads, by their nature, are wide open and largely insecure, providing easy access to railcars—as evidenced by the graffiti that frequently marks them. This makes it practically impossible to provide security commensurate with the risk presented by railcars of chlorine gas.
The only way to truly protect communities is to get unnecessary toxic cargoes off the tracks. Converting to safer alternatives for water treatment does that.
Link: http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2007/04/chemical_security_report.html
3. Virtuous cycles
Author: Main, Emily
Source: The Green Guide, May/June 2007
Abstract: Back in the day when washboards and clotheslines were the norm, a tub full of water and a bar of lye soap, sunlight, wind and a lot of elbow grease were the only things needed to clean, bleach and dry a load of clothes. But today's modern conveniences—mega-sized washers designed to launder for an NFL team, dryers that bake your clothes, detergents with their own muddy footprints—have upped the eco demands of this unavoidable task. Thanks to government trade-secret laws, manufacturers of cleaners aren't required to disclose ingredients on product labels, making it difficult for consumers to choose an environmentally preferable and healthier alternative.
Although phosphates, still used in dishwashing detergents and known to promote algae growth that in turn suffocates aquatic life, have been phased out of laundry detergents, health risks remain with other laundry chemicals, most notably nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs). NPEs are surfactants (chemicals that help other ingredients penetrate dirt and grime) that belong to a class of hormone-disrupting compounds called alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs). Unfortunately, "It's added to lots of cleaning agents," says Jason Marshall, lab manager at the Toxics Use Reduction Institute.
Popular because they're inexpensive, petroleum-derived NPEs break down in the environment into nonylphenol, which harms the reproductive abilities and survival of fish. They also aren't easily removed by wastewater-treatment facilities; Sierra Club has detected NPEs in 61 percent of U.S. streams tested. Linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS), a common surfactant used instead of or in conjunction with NPEs and often listed on ingredients as "anionic surfactants," doesn't fare much better environmentally. Like phosphates, LAS can deprive water of oxygen and kill aquatic life.
Fortunately, NPEs are slowly being phased out in the U.S., thanks to European Union efforts to remove them, says Marshall. "Companies don't want to make four different products with four different formulations," he says.
Link: http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/120/laundry
4. Reviewing the environmental and human health knowledge base of carbon nanotubes
Authors: Helland, Aasgeir; Wick, Peter; Koehler, Andreas; Schmid, Kaspar; Som, Claudia
Source: Environmental Health Perspectives, EHP-in-Press, Online May 10, 2007
Abstract: Carbon nanotubes (CNT) are considered one of the most promising materials in nanotechnology with attractive properties for many technological applications. The different synthesis, purification and post processing methods produce CNT with different physical characteristics, which can be applied in different fields ranging from composite materials, medical applications, and electronics to energy storage. The widespread projected usage of CNT makes it important to understand their potential harmful effects. This environmental health review observed a remarkable spread of results in some toxicology studies. The comparability should be improved by further standardization and introduction of reference materials.
However, in the meantime the findings of this review suggest several key points: There are different types of CNT and therefore they cannot be considered a uniform group of substances. In environmental compartments CNT can be bioavailable to organisms and their properties suggest a possible accumulation along the food chain and high persistence. In organisms the absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity of CNT depend on the inherent physical and chemical characteristics, such as CNT functionalisation, coating, length and agglomeration state, which are influenced by the external environmental conditions during the CNT production, usage and disposal stages. Characterized exposure scenarios could therefore be useful when conducting toxicological studies. However, CNT will produce a toxic response once reaching the lungs in sufficient quantity, reactions produced in a time and dose dependent manner. The identification of possible risks to human health and environment is a prerequisite for a successful introduction of CNT in tomorrow’s applications.
Link: http://www.ehponline.org/members/2007/9652/9652.pdf
5. Metabolix to develop sugarcane plastics
Author: Reidy, Chris
Source: Boston Globe, May 9, 2007
Abstract: Massachusetts-based Metabolix Inc. has announced a collaboration to develop natural plastics from sugarcane. Metabolix said it has signed a collaborative agreement with the Cooperative Research Centre for Sugar Industry Innovation through Biotechnology, an alliance of Australia's sugarcane biotechnology research organizations.
"Sugarcane is currently the premier biomass crop for biofuels, and we believe it can be developed to produce an advanced biorefinery feedstock for the production of natural plastics, fuels, and chemicals, significantly expanding Metabolix's global reach," Metabolix chief scientific officer Oliver Peoples said in a statement.
Link: http://www.boston.com/business/ticker/2007/05/metabolix_to_de.html
6. 31 states target global warming
Author: Wilson, Janet
Source: Los Angeles Times, May 9, 2007
Abstract: Led by California, 31 states representing more than 70% of the U.S. population announced Tuesday that they would measure and jointly track greenhouse gas emissions by major industries.
The newly formed Climate Registry is the latest example of states going further than the federal government in taking steps to combat global warming. State officials, along with some industrial groups and environmentalists, say the registry is a crucial precursor to both mandatory and market-based regulation of industrial gases that contribute to warming.
All agree that the most important part of the new registry is subjecting emissions statistics to third-party verification — unlike a Bush administration program that does not require verification. "You have to be able to count carbon pollution in order to cut carbon pollution," said Frances Beinecke, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council. "The registry gives business and policymakers an essential accounting tool for tracking the success of the many emerging global warming emission reduction initiatives that are blossoming across the country."
The registry participants range from states that are moving aggressively to impose mandatory greenhouse gas reduction policies to others that are just beginning to examine whether to take even voluntary steps. "This includes a lot of deeply conservative states who have signed on that we weren't expecting," said Nancy Whalen, spokeswoman for the California Climate Action Registry, the only current statewide emissions tracking system, which helped develop the multistate program. "We're all going to be measuring in the same way, so there's not going to be a patchwork of different programs out there."
Link: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/
la-na-greenhouse9may09,0,5999838.story
7. Indoor air pollution takes heavy toll on health
Source: World Health Organization, April 30, 2007
Abstract: In the 21 worst-affected countries, close to 5% of death and disease is caused by indoor air pollution, according to new estimates published by WHO. The first-ever country-by-country estimates of the burden of disease due to indoor air pollution highlight the heavy toll solid fuel use takes on the health and well-being of people around the world. The countries most affected are Afghanistan, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Pakistan, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo and Uganda.
In 11 countries -- Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan and the United Republic of Tanzania -- indoor air pollution is to blame for a total of 1.2 million deaths a year.
Globally, reliance on solid fuels is one of the 10 most important threats to public health. Worldwide, more than 3 billion people depend on solid fuels, including biomass (wood, dung and crop residues) and coal, for cooking and heating. Exposure to indoor air pollution from solid fuels has been linked to many diseases, in particular pneumonia among children and chronic respiratory diseases among adults.
A shift towards cleaner and more efficient modern fuels, such as biogas, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and kerosene could largely eliminate this health risk and prevent 1.5 million deaths a year globally. In the short-term, the promotion of more fuel-efficient and cleaner technologies, such as improved cooking stoves, smoke hoods and insulated retained heat cookers, could substantially reduce indoor air pollution and would bring about many other convenience and socioeconomic benefits.
Link: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/notes/2007/np20/en/index.html
8. New duplex fouling release coating system works without toxins
Author: Morris, Joseph P.
Source: Journal of Protective Coatings and Linings, February 2007, pp21-23
Abstract: Fouling of marine surfaces by barnacles and other organisms that attach to ship’s surfaces is an expensive and challenging problem for all ships. Equally challenging is a resolution of the problem with coatings that resist fouling but do not pose risks to the environment or to human health. An alternative to the use of toxin-containing antifouling paints is the class of paints known as “foulrelease” coatings, which provide a “low-energy” surface that prevents fouling species from adhering to the ship’s surface.
This article describes the results of an “Environmental Security Technology Certification Program” (ESTCP) project to demonstrate and validate the effectiveness of a new environmentally safe “duplex” fouling release coating developed and patented by the US Naval Research Laboratory. The ESTCP is a US Department of Defense (DoD) program that promotes innovative, cost-effective environmental technologies through demonstration and validation at DoD sites. The article also discusses the
subsequent commercialization of this technology by FUJIFILM Hunt Smart Surfaces, LLC. The article begins with a brief review of the problems of marine fouling and its control.
Link: http://www.fujihuntsmartsurface.com/pdf/InnovativeAFBacktoBG.pdf
9. Towards a European Chemicals Information System: a survey on reported monitoring activities of chemicals in Europe
Authors: Peijnenburg, Willie; Bogte, J.; van Wijnen, Harm; Wintersen, Arjen
Source: European Environment Agency, 2007
Abstract: This report presents the outline and results of a project which collected information on monitoring activities in the 32 EEA member countries. In addition, a framework is proposed on the potential structure of a multi-purpose European chemicals information system where a database on monitoring activities would constitute one element. The system could be used as a tool in support of EU chemicals and environmental legislation.
Link: http://reports.eea.europa.eu/technical_report_2007_6/en
10. Brewing a sustainable energy solution
Source: The University of Queensland, May 2, 2007
Abstract: A joint project between the University of Queensland [Australia] and Foster's to turn beer wastewater into electricity has won $140,000 from the Queensland Government's Sustainable Energy Innovation Fund. The team from UQ's Advanced Wastewater Management Centre (AWMC) was one of six presented with the funding by Minister for Environment Lindy Nelson-Carr at Foster's Yatala brewery.
AWMC postdoctoral research fellow Dr Korneel Rabaey said the technology worked by creating a microbial fuel cell, which feeds continuously on the organics in the brewery wastewater, turning it into watts.
The process also produces clean water and renewable (non-polluting) carbon dioxide. Dr Rabaey said with the current drought, the smart use of natural resources had never been more important. “Energy and water supply are among the biggest challenges we will face in the coming decades,” he said. “Therefore, we must learn how to diversify our portfolio of fuels – and we must learn to reduce our energy and water usage.”
AWMC Director Professor Jurg Keller said the focus in wastewater management had shifted away from simply treating waste, to recovering valuable resources such as water, energy and nutrients.
The team's work is in collaboration with the University of Ghent, Belgium, and is backed by a $1.3 million Australian Research Council Discovery grant in addition to on site and financial support from Foster's, who have been recognised for their innovative water reduction and recycling programs.
A patent is pending for the technology – believed to be a world first – which is designed for small to medium operations and could be used across a number of food, beverage and manufacturing industries.
Link: http://www.uq.edu.au/news/index.html?article=11943
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.
This page updated Friday May 11 2007