Non-TURA and Below-threshold Chemicals
Reducing or eliminating toxics reduces the risk of exposure for facility employees, suppliers, customers and the environment. It also can increase efficiency, improve competitiveness, and reduce or eliminate chemicals on customers’ restricted substances lists. This is an opportunity to use the TUR planning framework to reduce toxics that are not reported under TURA, but where there may be significant TUR opportunities. Companies also can identify chemicals of concern, chemicals with emerging hazard information or are of low hazard but have significant opportunities for source reduction.
The following information resources may be useful to facilities that are formulating a resource conservation plan to reduce use of non-TURA and below-threshold chemicals.
Government Restricted Substances Lists
European Union Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS)
Danish List of Undesirable Substances (LOUS)
Industry Restricted Substances Lists
Joint Industry Guide - Electronic Products
American Apparel and Footwear Association
Corporate Restricted Substances Lists
Specific Chemicals and Products
Mercury:
Mercury. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has developed this page to provide you with a one-stop resource for learning about mercury, understanding its environmental and public health impacts, safely managing products and wastes that contain it, and finding out what state government is doing to reduce and ultimately eliminate the mercury threat.
Mercury Thermostats. This primer is intended as a quick guide to essential pollution prevention information on mercury-thermostats, as well as a compilation of pertinent on-line resources.
Mercury Assessment: Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. The project team, consisting of federal and interstate representatives, visited Portsmouth Naval Shipyard to identify the sources and uses of mercury-added
products at the Shipyard and to research efforts the Shipyard has undertaken to reduce or eliminate their reliance on mercury. This case study presents the results of this mercury site assessment and recommendations for additional mercury reduction and controls at the Shipyard.
Lead:
Massachusetts Chemical Fact Sheet: Lead. This fact sheet is part of a series of chemical fact sheets developed by TURI to help Massachusetts companies, community organizations and residents understand the chemical’s health and environmental effects, how it is used and the availability of safer alternatives.
New England Lead-Free Electronics Consortium. The New England Lead-Free Electronics Consortium connects peers in industry with their suppliers and markets to address industry challenges and build local competitiveness. Several years of testing and experiments, as well as supply chain workshops and communication have resulted in a large archive of practical presentations, papers, and articles available for downloading.
Trichloroethylene:
TURI Laboratory TCE Reduction Resources. The TURI Laboratory is working with industry to research alternatives to TCE in cleaning operations.
Perchloroethylene:
Massachusetts Chemical Fact Sheet: Perchloroethylene. This fact sheet is part of a series of chemical fact sheets developed by TURI to help Massachusetts companies, community organizations and residents understand the chemical’s health and environmental effects, how it is used and the availability of safer alternatives.
This page updated Tuesday February 19 2008