Greenlist(tm) Bulletin 10/12/2007
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:
- A primer on the 'green building advantage'
- Endocrine disrupting pesticides: implications for risk assessment
- New plastic is strong as steel, transparent
- Environmental right-to-know: EPA's recent rule could reduce availability of toxic chemical information used to assess environmental justice
- Less paint is more at International Truck and Engine Corporation
- The future of critical cleaning
- Report urges development of genomic technologies for identifying toxic chemicals and understanding individual vulnerabilities
- Rachel Carson, mass murderer? The creation of an anti-environmental myth
- Consultation launch of responsible NanoCode for business
- Dangerous sealer stayed on shelves after recall
1. A primer on the 'green building advantage'
Author: Meza, Dan
Source: GreenerBuildings, August 8, 2007
Abstract: Depending on which bubble you live in, it may seem that the momentum of green design is unstoppable. While it is true that a lot has been achieved in the recent past, there is still a vast community that either is unaware of sustainable design as a concept, indifferent to its cause, or unconvinced of its advantages. To convince owners, builders, and designers (or other stakeholders) about the benefits of sustainable design, one must first understand that each group has a different opinion about the relevant selling points.
To an owner, the bottom line may be financial. To an architect it might be environmental and to the engineer it might be performance. There are many reasons to build green and, as advocates for sustainable design, architects should be equipped to provide a suitable argument relevant to the particular audience. The following series summarizes these advantages into three main topics -- environmental, economic, and societal.
Link: http://www.greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?Page=1&NewsID=35709
2. Endocrine disrupting pesticides: implications for risk assessment
Author: McKinlay, R.; Plant, J.A.; Bell, J.N.B.; Voulvoulis, N.
Source: Environment International, In press, online September 18, 2007
Abstract: Endocrine disrupting (ED) chemicals are compounds that alter the normal functioning of the endocrine system, potentially causing disease or deformity in organisms and their offspring. Pesticides are used widely to kill unwanted organisms in crops, public areas, homes and gardens and medicinally to kill parasites. Many are proven or suspected to be EDs. Ancient physiological similarities between different vertebrate groups suggest that disorders observed in wildlife may indicate risks to humans. This makes accurate risk assessment and effective legislation difficult. In this paper, the hazardous properties of pesticides which are known to have ED properties are reviewed in order to assess the implications for risk assessment. As well as data on sources of exposure in the United Kingdom (UK) an assessment of the evidence on the health effects of ED pesticides is also included. In total, 127 have been identified from the literature and their effects and modes of action are listed in this paper. Using the UK as a case study, the types and quantities of pesticides used, and their methods of application are assessed, along with their potential pathways to humans. In the UK reliable data are available only for agricultural use, so non-agricultural routes of pesticide exposure have been poorly quantified. The exposure of people resident in or visiting rural areas could also have been grossly under-estimated. Material links between ED pesticide use and specific illnesses or deformities are complicated by the multifactorial nature of disease, which can be affected by factors such as diet. Despite these difficulties, a large body of evidence has accumulated linking specific conditions to ED pesticides in wildlife and humans. A more precautionary approach to the use of ED pesticides, especially for non-essential purposes is proposed.
3. New plastic is strong as steel, transparent
Source: University of Michigan News Service, October 4, 2007
Abstract: By mimicking a brick-and-mortar molecular structure found in seashells, University of Michigan researchers created a composite plastic that's as strong as steel but lighter and transparent. It's made of layers of clay nanosheets and a water-soluble polymer that shares chemistry with white glue.
Engineering professor Nicholas Kotov almost dubbed it "plastic steel," but the new material isn't quite stretchy enough to earn that name. Nevertheless, he says its further development could lead to lighter, stronger armor for soldiers or police and their vehicles. It could also be used in microelectromechanical devices, microfluidics, biomedical sensors and valves and unmanned aircraft. Kotov and other U-M faculty members are authors of a paper on this composite material, "Ultrastrong and Stiff Layered Polymer Nanocomposites," published in the Oct. 5 edition of Science.
The scientists solved a problem that has confounded engineers and scientists for decades: Individual nano-size building blocks such as nanotubes, nanosheets and nanorods are ultrastrong. But larger materials made out of bonded nano-size building blocks were comparatively weak. Until now.
"When you tried to build something you can hold in your arms, scientists had difficulties transferring the strength of individual nanosheets or nanotubes to the entire material," Kotov said. "We've demonstrated that one can achieve almost ideal transfer of stress between nanosheets and a polymer matrix."
The researchers created this new composite plastic with a machine they developed that builds materials one nanoscale layer after another.
Link: http://www.ns.umich.edu/htdocs/releases/story.php?id=6084
4. Environmental right-to-know: EPA's recent rule could reduce availability of toxic chemical information used to assess environmental justice
Source: United States Government Accountability Office (GAO), 2007
Abstract: EPA initially disagreed with GAO’s July 2005 environmental justice recommendations, saying it was already paying appropriate attention to the issue. GAO called on EPA to improve the way it addresses environmental justice in its economic reviews and to better explain its rationale by providing data to support the agency’s decisions. A year later, EPA responded more positively to the recommendations and committed to a number of actions. However, based on information that EPA has subsequently provided, GAO concluded in a July 2007 testimony that EPA’s actions to date were incomplete and that measurable benchmarks were needed to hold agency officials accountable for achieving environmental justice goals.
In developing the TRI rule, EPA did not follow key aspects of its internal guidelines, including some related to environmental justice. EPA did not follow guidelines to ensure that scientific, economic, and policy issues are addressed at appropriate stages of rule development. For example, EPA asserted that the rule would not have environmental justice impacts; however, it did not support this assertion with adequate analysis. The omission is significant because many TRI facilities that no longer have to submit Form R reports are located in minority and low-income communities; and the reduction in toxic chemical information could disproportionately affect them.
EPA’s TRI rule will reduce the amount of information about toxic chemical releases without providing significant savings to facilities. A total of nearly 22,200 Form R reports from some 3,500 facilities are eligible to convert to Form A under the rule. While EPA says the aggregate impact of these conversions will be minimal, the effect on individual states and communities may be significant, as illustrated below. Although making significantly less information available to communities, GAO estimated that the rule would save companies little—an average of less than $900 per facility.
Link: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08115t.pdf
5. Less paint is more at International Truck and Engine Corporation
Source: Illinois Waste Management and Research Center (WMRC), October 2007
Abstract: International Truck and Engine Corporation participated in the Illinois Waste Management and Research Center's (WMRC's) Cutting Edge Partnership and reduced the amount of coating and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) used in their production process.
International Truck and Engine's Melrose Park facility manufactures inline six cylinder diesel engines that are used for Class 6 and 7 trucks and school buses. During its lifetime, the facility has manufactured more than 1.5 millions engines and was one of the first Diesel Engine Manufacturers in North America to be ISO14001 Certified.
As part of their commitment to the environment and ISO14001, International is always looking for new pollution prevention opportunities. Part of the engine manufacturing process at the Melrose Park Plant requires painting the engines to prevent rust.
The plant recently began manufacturing the company's new I-326 2007 EPA compliant diesel engine. Previously, all engines manufactured at the plant were completely spray painted for protection. However, some of the components of the new engine were already powder coated and did not require repainting.
International staff and WMRC engineers worked together to find a more effective, efficient, and environmentally friendly coating alternative that also complied with EPA standards. They identified engine components that needed protection and developed a new paint that satisfied the company's quality and environmental requirements. At the start of the project, the engineers identified amount of paint used in the manufacturing process. The paint booth meters measured the amount of paint used. Company personnel monitored the amounts and recorded the data in their environmental management system.
Link: http://www.wmrc.uiuc.edu/main_sections/info_services/library_docs/TN/tn08-090.pdf
6. The future of critical cleaning
Author: Kanegsberg, Barbara
Source: Controlled Environments Magazine, October 2006
Abstract: They call me the "cleaning lady" because of my activities in optimizing industrial critical cleaning processes, but what is critical cleaning? Soil is often described as “matter out of place” and critical cleaning is the removal of matter out of place from the surfaces of high-value product. High value may mean high-priced, or it may simply mean that undesirable consequences can result from inappropriate surface residue or surface properties. While surface quality or surface attributes are theoretically separable from critical cleaning, in common industrial practice, all are considered together.
The community involved in critical cleaning is diverse, and each individual has his or her own experience-based views on the subject. Therefore, to provide readers of Controlled Environments Magazine with a broad perspective on cleaning issues, I selected nine individuals, all with extensive relevant experience. I asked them what they saw as the most important critical cleaning challenges over the next three to ten years. They had the option of commenting on any or all of the following issues:
• safety/environmental
• competitive and economic costs
•contamination control
•performance
Of our nine experts, four are directly involved in manufacturing and/or maintenance of critical product. One of those is in the military and another has a background in manufacturing and is now an independent consultant. We also included five vendor/suppliers. Three are involved in the manufacture and/or sales of cleaning products. Two are employees of companies that supply cleaning agents and/or metal-working fluids.
Link: http://www.cemag.us/articles.asp?pid=628
7. Report urges development of genomic technologies for identifying toxic chemicals and understanding individual vulnerabilities
Source: The National Academies News, October 9, 2007
Abstract: A new report from the National Research Council recommends that government agencies enhance their efforts to incorporate genomic data into risk assessments of chemicals and medicines, and calls for a concerted effort to fully develop these methods' potential to protect public health. Chemicals and drugs often cause health problems by altering gene expression and other cell activity, and research on these processes -- called toxicogenomic research -- could eventually lead to more-sensitive toxicity tests that can supplement current tests, the report says. Toxicogenomic tests can also pinpoint individuals with genetic vulnerabilities and help them avoid chemicals or medications that might make them ill.
A major, coordinated effort approaching the scale of the Human Genome Project is needed both to develop these technologies fully and to address the ethical challenges they pose, such as protecting the confidentiality of individuals' genetic information, the report says. As part of this endeavor, which could be called a "human toxicogenomics initiative," a new database is needed to consolidate the massive amounts of data currently being generated by toxicogenomic studies. Toxic substances and drugs can potentially disrupt gene processes within cells, thus disturbing the cells' healthy functioning. In addition, an individual's genetic variations can leave him or her particularly susceptible to the effects of chemicals or side effects of medications. For example, studies have shown that certain inherited gene variations may make some people more prone to symptoms such as nausea and impaired muscle function when exposed to a common pesticide, the report notes.
Using new toxicogenomic technologies, researchers can identify toxic processes as they unfold at an early, molecular stage, long before symptoms appear. This knowledge will support the development of tests that can more accurately predict whether a chemical will be hazardous, and at what dose. The tests' sensitivity also could lead to better prediction and prevention of damage to fetuses at critical stages of development. Finally, toxicogenomic studies can inform individuals about their particular genetic vulnerabilities.
Given the potential of toxicogenomics to reduce and prevent health risks, regulatory agencies should expand their research and enhance efforts to use these methods to aid risk assessments, the report says. It also calls on the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and other stakeholders in government, academia, and industry to explore the feasibility of implementing a concerted human toxicogenomics initiative.
Link: http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=12037
8. Rachel Carson, mass murderer? The creation of an anti-environmental myth
Author: Swartz, Aaron
Source: Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR), October 2007
Abstract: Sometimes you find mass murderers in the most unlikely places. Take Rachel Carson. She was, by all accounts, a mild-mannered writer for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service—hardly a sociopath’s breeding ground. And yet, according to many in the media, Carson has more blood on her hands than Hitler.
The problems started in the 1940s, when Carson left the Service to begin writing full-time. In 1962, she published a series of articles in the New Yorker, resulting in the book Silent Spring—widely credited with launching the modern environmental movement. The book discussed how pesticides and pollutants moved up the food chain, threatening the ecosystems for many animals, especially birds. Without them, it warned, we might face the title’s silent spring.
Farmers used vast quantities of DDT to protect their crops against insects—80 million pounds were sprayed in 1959 alone—but from there it quickly climbed up the food chain. Bald eagles, eating fish that had concentrated DDT in their tissues, headed toward extinction. Humans, likewise accumulating DDT in our systems, appeared to get cancer as a result. Mothers passed the chemical on to their children through breast milk. Silent Spring drew attention to these concerns and, in 1972, the resulting movement succeeded in getting DDT banned in the U.S.—a ban that later spread to other nations.
And that, according to Carson’s critics, is where the trouble started. DDT had been sprayed heavily on houses in developing countries to protect against malaria-carrying mosquitoes. Without it, malaria rates in developing countries skyrocketed. Over 1 million people die from it each year.
To the critics, the solution seems simple: Forget Carson’s emotional arguments about dead birds and start spraying DDT again so we can save human lives.
Link: http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3186
9. Consultation launch of responsible NanoCode for business
Source: The Royal Society, September 24, 2007
Subjects: Nanotechnology; England (Great Britain)
Abstract: A consultation on seven principles of responsible practice for organisations working in the rapidly developing area of nanotechnologies has been launched today (24 September 2007).
The Responsible NanoCode' has been drafted by a working group established by the Royal Society, Insight Investment, the Nanotechnology Industries Association and the Nanotechnology Knowledge Transfer Network. The working group also includes representatives from companies, scientists, governments, non governmental organisations and trade unions including the chemical company BASF, Unilever, Smith & Nephew, the consumer group Which?, the development NGO Practical Action and the trade union Amicus.
The aim of the Responsible NanoCode' is to establish an international consensus on what constitutes good practice and to provide guidance on what organisations and businesses can do to demonstrate they are responsibly managing them while the need for further regulation is being evaluated. It is hoped that the voluntary code will contribute to ensuring nanotechnologies achieve their full potential in delivering health, environmental, social and economic benefits at a time when businesses are dealing with technical, social, regulatory and commercial uncertainties concerning these relatively new technologies.
Link: http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/news.asp?id=7088
10. Dangerous sealer stayed on shelves after recall
Author: Lipton, Eric
Source: The New York Times, October 8, 2007
Abstract: Walter E. Friedel’s plans to waterproof the tile floors of his hot tub room using Stand ’n Seal, a do-it-yourself product sold at his local Home Depot, promised to be a quick weekend project, one he could wrap up in time to catch the Giants football game on a Sunday afternoon.
The product offered “a revolutionary fast way” to seal grout around tiles and, its label boasted, any extra spray would “evaporate harmlessly.”
“It sounds like no big deal,” Dr. Friedel said, looking back.
But instead of watching football that afternoon, Dr. Friedel, a 63-year-old physician, ended up being rushed to the hospital, where he would spend four days in intensive care, gasping for air, his lungs chemically inflamed.
Dr. Friedel was the latest victim of a product whose dangers had become known months earlier to the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the companies that made and sold it. Before Dr. Friedel bought Stand ’n Seal, at least 80 people had been sickened using it, two of them fatally.
But even then, with the threat well-documented, the manufacturer, retailer and the commission had failed to remove the hazard from the shelves.
Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/08/washington/08consumer.html
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 Monday October 15 2007