Applying Precaution in the context of chemical safety
Tools
Safer chemistry design tools
The Federal Register Notice
Many of the EPA initiatives on sustainable chemistry fall under the Sustainable Futures (SF) program - an approach that encourages pollution prevention in new chemical development through the transfer of OPPT’s chemical risk screening methodologies. The Federal Register Notice [PDF] announcing SF has detailed information on what is required of participants and the mechanism for expedited review available; and discusses factors EPA will consider when determining eligibility of participants for the expedited review.
Green Blue Institute Clean Gradients Database
Green Blue Institute Clean Gradients Database. CleanGredients™ is being developed as an online database of institutional and industrial (I&I) cleaning ingredients — a one–stop–shop for green formulation. The database aligns broad environmental and human health goals with the cleaning product industry’s business objectives and will support formulators in formulating products with human and environmental health benefits, whether to meet corporate internal objectives, more stringent regulations, voluntary product recognition programs or national and international eco-label.
The Green Chemistry Expert System
The Green Chemistry Expert System (GCES) allows users to build a green chemical process, design a green chemical, or survey the field of green chemistry. The system is equally useful for new and existing chemicals and their synthetic processes. It includes extensive documentation.
The GCES features are contained in five modules:
• The Synthetic Methodology Assessment for Reduction Techniques (SMART) http://www.epa.gov/greenchemistry/pubs/smart.html module quantifies and categorizes the hazardous substances used in or generated by a chemical reaction, based on information entered by the user. Reactions can be modified in the SMART module and re-evaluated to optimize their green nature.
• The Green Synthetic Reactions module provides technical information on green synthetic methods.
• The Designing Safer Chemicals module includes guidance on how chemical substances can be modified to make them safer; it is organized by chemical class, properties, and use.
• The Green Solvents/Reaction Conditions module contains technical information on green alternatives to traditional solvent systems. This module also allows users to search for green substitute solvents based on physicochemical properties.
• The Green Chemistry References module allows the user to obtain additional information using a number of search strategies.
The Green Chemistry Assistant
The Green Chemistry Assistant, a web application currently under development at St. Olaf college, is based on the SMART module of the Green Chemistry Expert System [link to gces.html]. It allows improved input of reaction data and a more thorough analysis of overall process mass inputs and outputs. The GCA does not yet incorporate the hazard tiers from the GCES SMART module.