Greenlist Bulletin
From the Toxics Use Reduction Institute
at the University of Massachusetts Lowell
August 24, 2012
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This is the weekly bulletin of the TURI Library at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Greenlist Bulletin provide s previews of recent publications and websites relevant to reducing the use of toxic chemicals by industries, businesses, communities, individuals and government. You are welcome to send a message to mary@turi.org if you would like more information on any of the articles listed here, or if this email is not displaying properly.
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| Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies Launches Ingredient Transparency Website for Baby and Beauty Products | Source: Johnson & Johnson, August 15, 2012
Skillman, NJ (August 15, 2012) - The Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies today announced the launch of www.SafetyandCareCommitment.com, an initiative to help consumers better understand all the measures we take to make our beauty and baby care products as safe as can be.
"There's a public discussion under way about the ingredients in beauty care products, and we think it's important to be part of that," said Susan Nettesheim, Vice President of Product Stewardship & Toxicology for Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc. "Consumers today expect more information and greater transparency than ever before and we're always listening to the people who use our products. On this site, we'll do our best to explain how we make the choices we make, and to show how our plans incorporate consumers' feedback. We want all consumers to see for themselves how and why every one of our products can be used with peace of mind."
Read more...
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| Registry of current SVHC proposal intentions | Source: European Chemicals Agency, August 2012
Member States Competent Authorities (MSCAs) / the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) on request by the Commission may prepare Annex XV dossiers for identification of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC), Annex XV dossiers for proposing a harmonised Classification and Labelling or Annex XV dossiers proposing restrictions.
The aim of the public registry of intentions is to allow interested parties to be aware of the substances for which the authorities intend to submit Annex XV dossiers and therefore facilitates timely preparation of the interested parties for commenting later in the process.
Read more...
Click here for the registry of current SVHC intentions.
TURI's note: 1-bromopropane (nPB) is included in the registry of current SVHC intentions.
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| Northwestern scientists create chemical brain | Source: Northwestern University, August 22, 2012
Author: Megan Fellman
Giant network links all known compounds and reactions to create chemical Google on steroids
EVANSTON, IL --- Northwestern University scientists have connected 250 years of organic chemical knowledge into one giant computer network -- a chemical Google on steroids. This "immortal chemist" will never retire and take away its knowledge but instead will continue to learn, grow and share.
A decade in the making, the software optimizes syntheses of drug molecules and other important compounds, combines long (and expensive) syntheses of compounds into shorter and more economical routes and identifies suspicious chemical recipes that could lead to chemical weapons. . . .
The software already has been used in industrial settings, Grzybowski said, to design more economical syntheses of companies' products. Synthesis can be optimized with various constraints, such as avoiding reactions involving environmentally dangerous compounds. Using the Chematica software, such green chemistry optimizations are just one click away.
Read more...
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| Super-Strong, High-Tech Material Found to be Toxic to Aquatic Animals by Researchers at MU and USGS | Source: University of Missouri, August 22, 2012
Author: Timothy Wall
COLUMBIA, MO - Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are some of the strongest materials on Earth and are used to strengthen composite materials, such as those used in high-performance tennis rackets. CNTs have potential uses in everything from medicine to electronics to construction. However, CNTs are not without risks. A joint study by the University of Missouri and United States Geological Survey found that they can be toxic to aquatic animals. The researchers urge that care be taken to prevent the release of CNTs into the environment as the materials enter mass production.
"The great promise of carbon nanotubes must be balanced with caution and preparation," said Baolin Deng, professor and chair of chemical engineering at the University of Missouri. "We don't know enough about their effects on the environment and human health. The EPA and other regulatory groups need more studies like ours to provide information on the safety of CNTs."
Read more...
Also read, from the University of Edinburgh, "Nanofibre Health Risk Quantified." |
Tin Whisker Mitigation by Cobalt-60 Irradiation
| Source: Innovation, pg. 60, April/May 2012
Scientists at the Savannah River National Laboratory have identified a treatment method that slows or prevents the formation of whiskers in lead-free solder. Tests have shown that, when pure tin was deposited on a copper substrate and exposed to a Cobalt-60 gamma source, wide but short hillocks form instead of the whiskers. The current stage of research has shown initial time studies in comparison to a base-line that whisker formation is minimized or almost non-existent.
Contact mary@turi.org for full article.
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| Advances in Low-VOC Coalescent Technology | Source: Paint & Coatings Industry, August 2012, Pgs. 40-44
Authors: William Arendt, Rebecca Hanes, and Emily McBride (Emerald Kalama Chemical)
The graphic arts industry faces many of the same additive challenges as those encountered in coatings, ink and adhesives applications. Namely, it continues to seek coalescents and plasticizers that not only meet high performance standards, but also the more stringent environmental, health and safety regulations that characterize the industry today.
In the graphic arts industry, coalescents assist in film formation in waterborne overprint varnish, also known as OPV. To date, the coalescents used in the graphic arts industry have primarily been the more volatile types. While they function well, VOC content is an issue. Phthalates, such as di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) or butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), have also been used. Although they are both relatively low in VOCs, their use has been recently restricted as a result of health and safety concerns. Thus, a need exists for low-VOC, non-phthalate plasticizers and coalescent. ...
In 2011, a low-VOC plasticizer/coalescent platform was introduced specifically for use in architectural paint. This plasticizer platform is a blend of three dibenzoate plasticizers. The data presented indicated that one of the products, K-Flex® 975P,was particularly suited to the role of a plasticizer/coalescent in architectural coatings. In addition to the dibenzoate blends, a new monobenzoate was discovered and incorporated into this evaluation to test for feasibility in graphic arts applications.
Read more... Also read, from the Adhesive and Sealant Council, Inc., "Recent Advances in Reducing Migratory Concerns with Benzoate Plasticizer Technology in Latex Adhesives." |
| Biobased Materials: Not Always Greener | Source: Environmental Building News, Volume 21, Number 5, May 2012, Pgs. 1, 9-15
Author: Jennifer Atlee
Biobased materials range from basic building materials that have been used for generations and require little processing-such as wood and straw-all the way to highly complex, processed plastics that owe as much to the chemistry lab as they do to a field of corn.
Contact Environmental Building News or TURI for more information on this article, which contains extensive information on biobased polymers and materials in many different product categories. Information includes key concerns of biobased materials by product category, where biobased polymers are being used and requirements for biobased sourcing certifications.
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| Please send a message to mary@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://library.turi.org for greater topic coverage.
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Greenlist Bulletin is compiled by:
Mary Butow
TURA Program Research Assistant
Toxics Use Reduction Institute
University of Massachusetts Lowell
600 Suffolk St., Wannalancit Mills
Lowell MA 01854
978-934-4365
978-934-3050 (fax)
mary@turi.org
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