Greenlist(tm) Bulletin 05/18/2007
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:
- Mapping the U.S. NanoMetro Economy
- Engineer launches review of energy use in manufacturing
- Drowning in Disinfection Byproducts? Assessing Swimming Pool Water
- OPPT Accomplishments Report 2005-2006
- Green matters
- The nation's only professional wet cleaning 'green' dryers are eco-friendly
- The role of environmental management system on introduction of new technologies in the metal and chemical/paper/plastics industries
- Hexavalent Chromium in Drinking Water Causes Cancer in Lab Animals
1. Mapping the U.S. NanoMetro Economy
Source: Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, May 2007
Abstract: With nanotechnology poised to be the globe’s next big economic driver, five U.S. cities have emerged as the country’s top “Nano Metro” locations—areas with the nation’s highest concentration of nanotech companies, universities, research laboratories, and organizations.
Three leading “Nano Metro” centers—San Jose, San Francisco and Oakland—are in California, the state emerging as the domestic frontrunner in nanotechnology competition. The other two—Boston and Middlesex-Essex—are in Massachusetts.
This information is on view as part of a new interactive map displaying the growing “Nano Metro” landscape. The map and accompanying analysis—presented by the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies—depicts and ranks cities and states by numbers of companies, nanotechnology academic and government research centers, organizations, business sectors, and much more. The mashup is powered by Google Maps®.
Link: http://www.nanotechproject.org/123
2. Engineer launches review of energy use in manufacturing
Author: Halber, Deborah
Source: Massachusetts Institute of Technology News Office, November 1, 2006
Abstract: Timothy G. Gutowski's mission is to help the manufacturing industry lighten up, energy-wise. With a grant from the National Science Foundation, the MIT professor of mechanical engineering is reviewing energy use in manufacturing processes such as machining, grinding, injection molding, advanced machining methods and microelectronics fabrication methods. The goal is to compare the environmental performance of traditional methods to alternative processes, alternative product designs and proposed new processes.
The work is important because manufacturing plays a big role in U.S. energy use. Industry accounts for around 30 percent of the total, and manufacturing is responsible for around 80 percent of industrial use. In addition, the manufacturing industry designs and builds all of the equipment used in the other major energy use sectors. "Manufacturing processes can be thought of as products with a huge energy appetite," he said. This contributes to global warming but is not as visible to the public as gas-guzzling SUVs or images of melting polar ice caps. "Many people are not aware of the energy requirements for many manufacturing processes," said Gutowski, who, after extensive work in aerospace materials and composites, switched fields seven years ago to satisfy a need "to contribute to society in a bigger way."
The problem isn't that industry isn't interested in being environmentally friendly. In fact, in an MIT Laboratory for Manufacturing and Productivity working paper from earlier this year, Gutowski wrote that the World Business Council for Sustainable Development includes 180 international corporations, and the Global Environmental Management Initiative has members in 22 business sectors totaling $915 billion in annual sales. And, he added, many leading corporations have adopted sustainable development as a major corporate strategy.
But there are paradoxes. For one, because of increased efficiency, energy use per kilogram of product produced by major industrial sectors has been declining. But, Gutowski pointed out, efficiency and increased production go hand in hand. And usually, increased production more than offsets any gains in efficiency. "Hence, energy efficiency alone has not resulted in an absolute reduction in energy use," he said.
Further, in the United States, the barriers to "environmentally benign manufacturing" differ from industry to industry and can be frustratingly complex. For instance, Gutowski said, automobiles, compared with other products, are already recycled very effectively, with only around 15 percent of the average car ending up in a landfill at the end of its life. So a suggested manufacturing alternative--using lightweight composites instead of steel--would solve one problem (making cars lighter and more fuel-efficient) while creating several others: Composite materials would increase waste because they are currently not recyclable, have no feasible recycling technologies on the horizon and increase manufacturing costs.
Meanwhile, microelectronics has different issues. Computers are used for approximately two to three years, compared with around 10 years for a car, and the recycling rate for all electronics is quite low. In addition, the manufacture of integrated circuits--the devices at the heart of all electronics products--requires the use of ultrapure materials and energy-intensive manufacturing processes.
Furthermore, new technologies such as those used to produce and process nanoscale materials and other advanced manufacturing processes exceed the energy use of older technologies by six to eight orders of magnitude on a per-unit-of-material-processed basis, Gutowski said.
Link: http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2006/print/manufacturing-1101-print.html
3. Drowning in Disinfection Byproducts? Assessing Swimming Pool Water
Authors: Zwiener, Christian; Richardson, Susan D.; de Marini, David M.; Grummt, Tamara; Glauner, Thomas; Frimmel, Fritz H.
Source: Environmental Science & Technology, January 15, 2007, pp363-372
Abstract: Disinfection is mandatory for swimming pools: public pools are usually disinfected by gaseous chlorine or sodium hypochlorite and cartridge filters; home pools typically use stabilized chlorine. These methods produce a variety of disinfection byproducts (DBPs), such as trihalomethanes (THMs), which are regulated carcinogenic DBPs in drinking water that have been detected in the blood and breath of swimmers and of nonswimmers at indoor pools. Also produced are halogenated acetic acids (HAAs) and haloketones, which irritate the eyes, skin, and mucous membranes; trichloramine, which is linked with swimming-pool-associated asthma; and halogenated derivatives of UV sun screens, some of which show endocrine effects. Precursors of DBPs include human body substances, chemicals used in cosmetics and sun screens, and natural organic matter. Analytical research has focused also on the identification of an additional portion of unknown DBPs using gas chromatography (GC)/mass spectrometry (MS) and liquid chromatography (LC)/MS/MS with derivatization. Children swimmers have an increased risk of developing asthma and infections of the respiratory tract and ear. A 1.6-2.0-fold increased risk for bladder cancer has been associated with swimming or showering/bathing with chlorinated water. Bladder cancer risk from THM exposure (all routes combined) was greatest among those with the GSTT1-1 gene. This suggests a mechanism involving distribution of THMs to the bladder by dermal/inhalation exposure and activation there by GSTT1-1 to mutagens. DBPs may be reduced by engineering and behavioral means, such as applying new oxidation and filtration methods, reducing bromide and iodide in the source water, increasing air circulation in indoor pools, and assuring the cleanliness of swimmers. The positive health effects gained by swimming can be increased by reducing the potential adverse health risks.
4. OPPT Accomplishments Report 2005-2006
Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), May 2007
Abstract: EPA's Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) works to ensure that chemicals manufactured, imported or used in the United States do not pose unreasonable risks to health or the environment. It also strives to promote the prevention of pollution before it occurs and to improve environmental stewardship practices in business and government operations. This report describes OPPT's progress in accomplishing these goals, which are key components of EPA's overall "Strategic Plan." Indeed, every accomplishment is a part of a larger effort to meet one of the agency's specific strategic objectives.
Link: http://www.epa.gov/oppt/ar/20052006/
5. Green matters
Source: Public Works, May 1, 2007
Abstract: Reports vary, but the term “low-impact development” was coined in the late 1980s or early '90s in Prince George's County, Md., when the county began diverting stormwater into rain gardens, landscaping, and other nature-mimicking spots rather than manmade structures like gutters and stormwater ponds. The term, also known as LID, refers to how stormwater runoff is diverted via best management practices, allowing a city or other jurisdiction to meet regulatory-compliance and resource-protection goals.
Wordy definition aside, the concept is simple. Use Mother Nature's inherent absorptive capabilities to save one of the planet's most important natural resources: water. As logical as this sounds, not every city puts low-impact development at the top of its list of things to fund. Public works managers recognize its intrinsic value, but aren't using its “warm fuzzy” appeal to convince elected officials that it should be higher on their list of priorities.
Limited budgets for up-front costs, the perceived cost of long-term maintenance (even though studies show that costs are actually lower), and the lack of federal mandates make championing low-impact development tough, but the price of not implementing water-saving practices may be higher in the long run. While the U.S. Green Building Council doesn't track low-impact development, it estimates that 5% to 7% of commercial construction is Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED)-certified or -registered, meaning that the building is environmentally sustainable or “green.” That translates to about 1 billion square feet of commercial facility space. Departments working to acquire LEED certification can incorporate low-impact development tactics, such as adding a rain garden on the roof, to earn LEED points.
But according to an exclusive survey of PUBLIC WORKS readers, about half of you haven't considered incorporating low-impact development into projects, primarily because it's not mandated by local or state government.
Departments that don't take advantage of low-impact development are missing the boat, says Neil Weinstein, executive director of Low Impact Development Center, Beltsville, Md. “Making your community look nice is high on the list of many public works leaders and elected officials, and low-impact development is the perfect way to enhance the aesthetics of a community,” he says. Green roofs, pervious pavements, and rain gardens not only incorporate low-impact development concepts, they also improve the look of a neighborhood by reducing ponding and adding green space.
Link: http://www.pwmag.com/industry-news.asp?sectionID=0&articleID=493009
6. The nation's only professional wet cleaning 'green' dryers are eco-friendly
Source: American Dryer Corp., May 2, 2007
Abstract: American Dryer Corporation (“ADC”) announces that two of its Solaris brand dryers are equipped for professional wet cleaning applications. The 50 lb. capacity SL-50 and the 75 lb. capacity SL-75 come standard with reversing tumblers and ADC’s patented residual moisture control auto dry feature. The auto dry feature is integral to professional wet cleaning, as it senses moisture in the tumbler and shuts off the heat to prevent over drying and the damage to clothes that often results.
The State of California’s recent decision to phase out the use of perchloroethylene (“perc”) by 2023 has dry cleaners nationwide looking at environmentally friendly alternatives. Professional wet cleaning and CO2 cleaning are beginning to enjoy widespread acceptance, with professional wet cleaning being the more commercially available alternative. A number of cleaners in California are now using Solaris dryers for professional wet cleaning.
“The response in California to professional wet cleaning has been encouraging. The cleaners in our Professional Wet Cleaning Commercialization Program have eliminated the use of perc from their facilities,” said Peter Sinsheimer, Director of the Pollution Prevention Center at the Urban & Environmental Policy Institute at Occidental College in Los Angeles. “Preliminary reports suggest that these facilities are seeing, on average, savings of over $650 per year in electricity costs, with higher savings in equipment and maintenance costs."
Link: http://www.amdry.com/about/WebRelease_Prof_Wet_Cleaning.pdf
7. The role of environmental management system on introduction of new technologies in the metal and chemical/paper/plastics industries
Authors: Radonjic, Gregor; Tominic, Polona
Source: Journal of Cleaner Production, 2007, v15 n15, pp1482-1493
Abstract: Pollution prevention with the use of modern cleaner technologies in industrial sectors is the cornerstone of successful environmental policy certified according to the requirements of the international standard ISO 14001. The analyses were performed with the objective of assessing general aspects of technology modernisation as a result of the ISO 14001 certification in industrial enterprises in order to develop a better understanding whether the ISO 14001 certification can accelerate initiatives for the adoption of new and cleaner technologies within the certified firms on one hand, and, on the other hand, to find out to what extent it helped to upgrade their environmental performance. The research was performed within Slovene metal and chemical (including pharmaceuticals, paper and plastics) manufacturing companies with an additional emphasis on firms which are committed to implementing the IPPC directive. In general, certified enterprises consider ISO 14001 as a very useful tool in promoting and adopting new cleaner technologies. ISO 14001 seems to be particularly important to create better conditions for the technology changes in companies which are committed to the IPPC Directive. Companies in chemical and related industries, to a much higher extent, used predominantly modified technologies to diminish their environmental impacts, while companies in metal industries, to a higher extent, used a combination of existing and new technologies after ISO 14001 certification. It seems that better environmental performance is associated with higher productivity in ISO 14001 certified firms.
8. Hexavalent Chromium in Drinking Water Causes Cancer in Lab Animals
Source: NIH News, May 16, 2007
Abstract: Researchers announced today that there is strong evidence a chemical referred to as hexavalent chromium, or chromium 6, causes cancer in laboratory animals when it is consumed in drinking water. The two-year study conducted by the National Toxicology Program (NTP) shows that animals given hexavalent chromium developed malignant tumors.
“Previous studies have shown that hexavalent chromium causes lung cancer in humans in certain occupational settings as a result of inhalation exposure,” said Michelle Hooth, Ph.D., NTP study scientist for the technical report. “We now know that it can also cause cancer in animals when administered orally.”
The study findings were announced at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) after the NTP Board of Scientific Counselors Technical Reports Review Subcommittee completed its independent peer review of the sodium dichromate dihydrate research report. Sodium dichromate dihydrate is an inorganic compound containing hexavalent chromium that was used in the NTP studies. The NTP is located at the NIEHS, part of the National Institutes of Health.
Hexavalent chromium compounds are often used in electroplating, leather tanning, and textile manufacturing and have been found in some drinking water sources.
Link: http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/may2007/niehs-16.htm
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://slk060.liberty3.net/turi/ for greater topic coverage.
This page updated Friday May 18 2007