How the Toxics Use Reduction Act continues to promote clean production Internationally

The Massachusetts’ Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA) of 1989 set an important milestone in the roadmap to Clean Production. The Act’s focus on a clear definition, methodology, and mandatory planning requirements have proved successful in getting companies in Massachusetts to reduce their use of toxic chemicals in manufacturing processes. Such results are inspirational for government officials and advocacy groups attempting to reduce toxic emissions in their communities and set progressive chemicals use policies. This paper will summarize three initiatives where TURA was a catalyst and continues to impact international chemicals policy: the Sewer Use By-law in Toronto, Canada; the European Union’s REACH chemicals legislation and the international campaign by Greenpeace in Asia and Latin America to achieve zero discharge of hazardous substances into rivers. The example of Toronto and REACH show how one or more essential aspects of TURA were incorporated into legislation. In the case of REACH TURA’s requirement of mandatory planning became an important example and NGO demand during the formation of Europe’s new chemicals regulation and resulted in the first substitution assessment planning requirement in EU wide legislation. Work is now ongoing to promote TURA type legislation in Latin America and Asia. However the ability to transfer the TURA framework to regions with inadequate government oversight and cheap disposal costs is seriously hampered. Although NGO campaigns in Asian and Latin America advocate zero discharge of hazardous emissions through toxics use reduction and elimination, much training and accountability will be needed within government and companies to understand the benefits of toxics use reduction and actually implement all or parts of the TURA framework. The Toxics Use Reduction Act came into force in 1989 with high environmental awareness, an engaged citizenry and a responsive government entity. Perhaps these are the same conditions that must exist for its successful transference to industrializing countries.     

Program assessment at the 20 year mark: experiences of Massachusetts companies and communities with the Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA) program

The Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA) model is widely cited as an effective blend of mandatory and voluntary components, and is considered a model nation-wide and internationally. There is ample documentation of the reductions in toxic chemical use achieved by Massachusetts facilities under TURA. The present study was designed to gather other information about the experience of these facilities. Through an online survey and telephone interviews, the study investigated how these facilities are achieving toxics use reduction, how TURA affects internal company dynamics, what benefits and difficulties facilities experience, and how their experiences in the program have changed over time. Survey results indicate that the benefits experienced most frequently by facilities subject to TURA requirements are increased management attention to environmental practices; improved worker health and safety; and financial savings. Most frequently cited obstacles to TUR implementation are technical feasibility problems; financial costs; concerns about product quality; and customer requirements. Survey results also indicate that the TUR planning process is most useful in the first and second planning cycles, although most respondents indicated that they sometimes identify useful TUR options in subsequent planning cycles as well. Over all, the results indicate that facilities are continuing to experience significant benefits from the TURA program, while they also continue to face some challenges. These results provide a snapshot of the experience of Massachusetts facilities 20 years since the inception of the TURA program. They also provide baseline information that will be useful for later evaluations of the effects of statutory changes to TURA adopted in 2006 and implemented in subsequent years. The study also included a preliminary assessment of the experience of Massachusetts municipal agencies, community organizations, small business associations and others that receive assistance from the TURA program.     

The experiences of four corporate officials managing compliance with the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act

The Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA), one of the original pollution prevention laws, has faced repeated repeal attempts and budget cuts. Yet the Massachusetts toxics use data and other analyses have provided firm indications that the law has actually worked. Though the program has survived it is notable that an approach that both saves money and reduces pollution has been reduced and not expanded. This paper does not attempt to answer the question of why the strategies of TURA have not seen wider application, but offers four stories to illustrate what happens when they are properly applied. The experience of corporate officials who had to comply with TURA, related at a symposium on the occasion of the law’s 20th anniversary, shed light on how a strong pollution prevention law can benefit regulated companies as well as the environment and worker and public health, and provide suggestions, in addition to data and surveys, that TURA-like sets of governance tools should receive wider consideration.     

Does providing technical assistance for toxics use reduction really work? A program evaluation utilizing toxics use reduction act data to measure pollution prevention performance

The 1989 Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA) instituted a preventive approach to chemical pollution and wastes: reducing toxic chemicals at the source through prevention planning, public reporting of chemical input, and fees for chemical use. The act also created the Massachusetts Office of Technical Assistance for Toxics Use Reduction (OTA), a voluntary program, to make onsite visits to companies that request assistance. OTA staff review the use of toxic chemicals at the facility, and make recommendations for either using substitutes, or using the chemicals more efficiently. Because TURA requires covered companies (large quantity toxics users) to report chemical input (what they use), output (resulting chemical waste), and a production index, it is possible to measure trends in toxics use relative to production, and waste byproduct per pound of chemical use input. These are uniquely precise measurements of a company's ability to accomplish the form of pollution prevention known as toxics use reduction.From 1993 to 2002, companies used approximately 500 million pounds (227 million kg) less toxic chemicals than they were expected to use, based on past performance. Those companies that received onsite technical assistance visits from OTA made substantially greater improvements in TUR performance than those not visited, and as compared to their own performance after being visited. They reduced an average of 9.4% more toxics use after being visited than before, and the difference was statistically significant. More companies in the visited group made progress than companies not visited, and had greater reductions than those not visited by nearly all measures.The results of two additional studies supported these findings of program effectiveness. One study examined companies that dropped out of the system, and found that those that were visited employed toxics use reduction to achieve below-threshold use amounts more frequently than those that were not visited. The other study, an independent research project using econometric methods to determine the causative relevance of provided assistance, found OTA's service to be an explanatory factor associated with significant toxics use and byproduct reductions.     

At the source: the origins of the Massachusetts toxics use reduction program and an overview of this special issue

This special edition of the Journal of Cleaner Production celebrates the twentieth anniversary of a piece of legislation that has special significance to the environmental movement - the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act of 1989 (TURA). Most of the papers in this issue were presented at a symposium to commemorate the twentieth anniversary that was held on November 4, 2009.Much has been written about the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Program. It has been heralded as a major pollution prevention success story. It has been lauded as a premier American example of the precautionary principle in action. It has been condemned by the American chemical industry trade association as “bad for the chemical industry”. And it has been praised by the Ford Foundation and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government as an award-receiving example of innovation in government (Harvard Kennedy School, 2005).Looking back now to some twenty years ago—back to the early origins of the program concept—it can be seen both as a landmark breakthrough in international chemicals policy, and as a fairly conventional next step in the political evolution of Massachusetts environmental policy.Where did this idea come from? How did it develop? How were pieces put together? Why did Massachusetts adopt such an idea into law? And how did the idea change during the early years of implementation? This paper provides a brief history of the development of the concept of toxics use reduction and the process by which it was drafted into law in Massachusetts, followed by an introduction to the articles included in this special edition and their assessment of TURA - past, present, and future.     

Primary prevention for worker health and safety: cleaner production and toxics use reduction in Massachusetts

Worker health and safety and environmental protection are not always considered simultaneously when attempting to reduce or eliminate hazardous materials from our environment. Cleaner Production-Pollution Prevention (CPPP), as primary prevention, has the ability to shift worker health and safety strategies from control to prevention, where exposure prevention precedes exposure control. This paper evaluates the effect of Cleaner Production-Pollution Prevention in the form of toxics use reduction (TUR) on worker health and safety at three printed wire board facilities covered under the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act. In-depth case study analysis, including an assessment of each facility’s health and safety status, explores the root causes of the worker health and safety changes attributable to the TUR interventions. By exploring the relationship between worker health and safety and environmental protection within the corporate structure; we can identify the factors driving companies to reduce toxics both inside and outside of their plants, as a single concern.While traditionally there have been divergent paths of practice for worker health and safety and environmental protection, the two are closely connected. It is important, however, to consider the implications of risk transfer/shifting between the general and work environment. In order to avoid this risk shifting, worker health and safety perspectives and goals must be more clearly incorporated into the Cleaner Production-Pollution Prevention/TUR management system. This study opens a dialog around the effects of environmental intervention programs on worker health and safety. We realize now that while CPPP/TUR reduces exposure to toxic substances in the general environment, it also offers unique opportunities to reaffirm primary prevention principles in the work environment.     

Toxics reduction in processes. Some practical examples

Toxics reduction aims at reduced releases of toxic substances. Toxics use reduction (TUR) has been advocated as a simple and effective method of reducing toxic pollution. Here we analyse five cases of process modifications given by companies as examples of toxics reduction. All of the companies mentioned environmental legislation as a reason for toxics reduction and three also mentioned legislation aimed at occupational health and safety as a reason. The methods used for process modification are different. Three stressed input substitution and one product reformulation. These four resulted in toxics use reduction. The fifth company modified the hazardous waste process from disposal to treatment of the waste. In two of the three cases where input substitution was performed, the risks shifted from toxic to inflammable. In two of the three cases where occupational health and safety legislation was mentioned as a reason for process modification, the working environment improved after process modification. In all cases there are still environmental and/or occupational risks after modification. In four of the five cases there were increases in costs. To reach toxics reduction, companies should develop a strategy, a program, goals and an evaluating procedure, the latter also intended to evaluate the risks.     

Estimated chemical usage by manufacturers in Connecticut

Background

There is little available data on chemical use patterns by companies, with few federal requirements for reporting. This results in difficulties for targeting toxics for possible substitution, assisting employers with complying with newer international regulations, and decreased ability to estimate health and environmental impacts.

Methods

Massachusetts chemical use data for manufacturers required under the Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA) was acquired, with corresponding information on industrial sector classification and employment levels by sector for both Massachusetts (MA) and Connecticut (CT). The MA chemical data was adjusted based on the ratio of employment levels by sector for CT compared to MA to give estimates of chemical usage by sector in CT.

Results

It was estimated that there was over 660 million pounds of chemicals used in CT, with over 300 million pounds each of carcinogens and reproductive hazards (categories overlap). The most common chemicals estimated to be used were styrene monomer (266 million lbs.), sodium hydroxide (60 million lbs.), and methanol (50 million lbs.). The industrial sub-sectors estimated with the highest chemical usage were chemical manufacturing, plastics and rubber products manufacturing, and fabricated metal product manufacturing.

Conclusion

There is extensive chemical use in CT manufacturing, but little direct information on actual use patterns.     

Business value of toxics reduction and pollution prevention planning

As part of Ontario's Toxics Reduction Strategy, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment provided funding for two years to a partnership of the Ontario Centre for Environmental Technology Advancement (OCETA) and the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) to deliver a Cleaner and Greener Manufacturing Program, which will include the development and delivery of training and technical assistance programs on toxics reduction and pollution prevention (P2). Over the next two years, OCETA and CME will be working with small-to-medium sized manufacturers to demonstrate the business value of toxics reduction and pollution prevention planning to help motivate businesses to move into a greener economy.     

Helping small businesses implement toxics use reduction techniques: dry cleaners, auto shops, and floor finishers assisted in creating safer and healthier work places

The Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI), Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC), and Vietnamese American Initiative for Development (Viet-AID) have worked with small business sectors to reduce their use of toxic chemicals. Three cases, described here, in dry cleaning, auto shops and floor finishing share common approaches for creating successful models of effective dissemination of toxics use reduction in small businesses. These include direct business support, peer-to-peer training and promotion of alternatives, and collaborations with stakeholders to achieve greener businesses. These results were achieved despite predictable barriers of lack of resources, suspicion of safer alternatives, and language and cultural barriers.     

Development of an eco-ideation tool to identify stepwise greenhouse gas emissions reduction options for consumer goods

Pressure on consumer goods manufacturers to develop new products with significantly less environmental impact is growing, through increased consumer awareness of environmental issues and governments setting ambitious emissions reductions targets. A strategic response to this pressure is to prepare a portfolio of innovative product ideas to meet a range of future emissions reductions targets. However, although extensive work exists on ideation (the generation of novel product ideas) and eco-design (design for reduced environmental impact), eco-ideation (generation of ideas that particularly aim to reduce environmental impacts) has had little attention. The challenge of eco-ideation is to release the creativity of a broad range of employees, only few of whom may be familiar with the drivers of environmental impact.This paper proposes a novel tool to facilitate the generation of radical product and process ideas giving step-change reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The features of products and processes that drive greenhouse gas emissions across the product life cycle were characterized with a set of indicators. A simple visual tool was created to show these indicators on a sliding scale between best and worst imaginable performance. A leading question associated with each slider was designed to stimulate lower impact ideas. The tool was iteratively refined and simplified through structured testing with individuals from across a range of roles and differing knowledge of environmental impacts. The final eco-ideation tool used 14 scales, with leading questions for each scale developed to stimulate idea generation.The tool’s effectiveness was evaluated through use in a series of 15 individual workshops and compared with the outcomes of an equal number of conventional 12-person group-brainstorming sessions. The comparison suggests that using the simple tool generally leads to a wider range of more radical ideas than emerge from group brainstorming.     

Assessment of estimated 1990 air toxics concentrations in urban areas in the United States

The 188 air contaminants designated as hazardous air pollutants, or air toxics, under the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 are associated with a variety of adverse human health impacts. The US Environmental Protection Agency recently developed estimates of 1990 outdoor concentrations of 148 air toxics for every census tract in the continental United States. This paper compares the results for urban and rural areas, and evaluates the relative contributions of large stationary sources (point sources), small stationary sources (area sources), and mobile sources. The estimated air toxics concentrations in urban areas were typically twice as high as in rural areas. There were more air toxics with modeled ambient concentrations in excess of health benchmarks in urban census tracts than in rural census tracts. Ambient concentrations attributable to area sources alone exceeded health benchmarks in a majority of urban census tracts for several pollutants; similar results were found for mobile sources. For point sources, exceedances of benchmarks generally occurred in fewer census tracts. These results show that reductions in emissions of air toxics from all three types of sources will be necessary to reduce anthropogenic air toxics concentrations to levels below the health benchmark concentrations.     

基于文献计量学的环境内分泌干扰物研究热点分析

进入21世纪以来,环境内分泌干扰物(endocrine disrupting chemicals, EDCs)逐渐引起全世界的关注. 为系统梳理EDCs领域文章的知识结构与研究脉络,探究EDCs的研究热点与未来趋势,以中国知网(China National Knowledge Infrastructure, CNKI)与Web of Science (WoS)数据库中关于EDCs的文章为原始数据,分别检索到1 952与11 646篇相关文章,检索截止日期为2021年6月25日. 采用文献计量学方法,使用CiteSpace软件对文献进行可视化分析,分析文章的关键词、来源期刊、学科领域、国家机构和引用文献等,结果表明:①国际上对EDCs的研究已有近30年的历史,大致可分为早期探索(1991—2000年)、深入研究(2001—2011年)和扩展研究(2012—2021年)3个阶段,其研究热度与每年发文量均呈稳定增长趋势. ②EDCs的环境行为与毒理效应机制是国内外研究的焦点,尤其是双酚A类似物和苯甲酸酯类物质. ③美国和中国发表的EDCs相关文章较多,发文量分别为2 483和1 822篇. 关注EDCs研究的国家以欧美地区的发达国家为主;中国科学院大学与美国环境保护局为发表相关文章较多的机构,发文量分别为319和222篇. ④Environmental Health Perspectives是发文量最多的期刊,“环境科学”与“毒理学”是发文量最多的学科领域. 研究显示,国内外在EDCs领域的研究脉络大致相同,主要集中在双酚A、壬基酚等EDCs的毒性效应、机制以及环境检测领域,未来还应加强EDCs复合暴露及毒性修复的研究.      

Getting the lead out cheaply: a review of the EPA's proposed residential lead hazard standards

Exposure to lead in homes poses such large risks to children's health that reducing it is a major public health priority. To limit these risks, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently proposed nation-wide standards to identify hazardous levels of lead dust and lead in soil, as well as hazardous conditions for lead-based paint. Contrary to the EPA's view, its standards would not maximize net benefits. Each of the EPA's proposed standards for paint, soil and dust would result in measures to control lead that have costs in excess of benefits. Together those costs, less the benefits from these control measures, are likely to exceed $20 billion (10⁹). In addition, about half of all the homes that do not meet the standards have risks of elevated blood-lead less than at other homes in full compliance with the standards.     

基于摩拜骑行数据的上海市共享单车减排效益时空分析

移动互联网环境下的共享单车能够有效减少机动化出行,可在一定成程度上缓解当下交通污染、气候变化等问题,具有显著的减排效益.本研究基于上海市摩拜单车的骑行数据,结合精细化的交通方式排放因子及共享单车替代率调查数据,计算共享单车与其替代交通方式相比所减少的温室气体排放和污染物排放,并分析共享单车减排效益的时空分布特征.结果表明：2016年上海市共享单车的CO₂、CO、HC、NO_x、PM_2.5和PM₁₀减排量分别为6322、74、8.57、6.33、0.32、0.48 t;在时间上具有典型的峰谷现象,其中,早晚高峰贡献了约45%的减排量;在空间上主要分布于中心城区,其中,南京东路街道单位面积减排量最高.因此,上海市共享单车的减排效益主要产生于早晚通勤交通与人口集聚的地区.为了提高共享单车的减排效益,政府和运营者需要在未来继续扩大共享单车的覆盖范围,增加在郊区的投放数量,鼓励更多外围居民使用共享单车.     

松花江流域某自来水厂中内分泌干扰物的调查

利用固相萃取-高效液相色谱法调查了松花江流域某自来水厂原水、传统净水工艺各处理单元出水及管网水中的13种内分泌干扰物(EDCs).结果表明,固醇类雌激素物质除管网水中未检出外,其他各水样均有检出,浓度为4-44 ng·L-1;4种邻苯二甲酸酯(PAEs)、双酚A(BPA)及3种烷基酚(APs)在各水样中几乎100%检出,浓度为2～163 760 ng·L-1,其中以邻苯二甲酸二丁酯(DBP)与邻苯二甲酸二(2-乙基己基)酯(DEHP)为主.研究还发现,尽管有个别EDCs出水浓度高于进水浓度,但混凝沉淀工艺对EDCs的去除在该水厂中占主导作用,平均去除率为63%;砂滤与氯消毒工艺出水不稳定,只能对部分EDCs起到一定程度去除作用.此外,出厂水经管网输送后其中的绝大多数EDCs含量升高,说明进入管网水中的EDCs除水源水污染外,还有一个重要途径就是输水管材中相应污染物的渗析.     

Ionizing radiation for maternal medical indications

Ionizing radiation should be considered an avoidable exposure although all pregnant women receive some radiation from their environment. The potential effect of ionizing radiation on the fetus is determined by the dose and the timing of the exposure with growing interest in the potential risks of transgenerational effects of radiation as an epigenetic phenomenon. High dosage exposure is very unlikely in routine situations such as occupational, diagnostic, or therapeutic exposures. Individual diagnostic radiation procedures (fetal dosage <50 mGy), are not associated with any increase in lethality (miscarriage or stillbirth), genetic damage, teratogenicity, growth impairment, mental retardation, or sterility. More recent modeling has suggested that a 10 mGy fetal dose is associated with an excess risk of childhood cancer risk as low as 1 in 4545, well below historical estimates.When the mother's condition necessitates diagnostic radiation it is necessary to balance the risks of the procedure with the benefits to be gained. As almost all diagnostic imaging involves doses below the 50 mGy threshold, clinically indicated investigations should not be withheld because of concerns regarding fetal radiation exposure. Even radiotherapy directed away from the abdomen or pelvis may be considered during pregnancy, if the benefits outweigh the risks and no suitable alternative is available.     

Effective pollution prevention in healthcare environments

The integration of pollution prevention (P2) into modern municipal wastewater by-laws has forced discharging facilities to rethink how they select, purchase, process and dispose of chemical products and wastes. This paper focuses on some of the key challenges of P2 planning and toxics reduction in healthcare environments. It will also provide insight and lessons learned by way of a P2 planning case study at one of Toronto's largest multi-facility healthcare institutions and their efforts and successes in complying with the City of Toronto's Sewer Use By-Law P2 Planning requirements. This case study demonstrates how P2 practitioners, facility, housekeeping and procurement managers were successful in leveraging the supply chain to identify non-toxic alternatives for product substitution. As a result, substituted products were effectively and efficiently incorporated into maintenance and operation functions, resulting in the reduction of sanitary effluent discharge levels of toxic surfactants by over 90% within a 2-year period. Such P2 success stories illustrate how effective P2 planning can be achieved with minimal capital cost and without complex ‘end of pipe’ treatment solutions, resulting in rapid cost recovery and tangible environmental benefits within a short time frame.     

环境内分泌干扰物促进乳腺细胞增殖的分子机制研究进展

乳腺癌是女性中常见的癌症,EDCs（environmental endocrine disrupting chemicals,环境内分泌干扰物）具有雌激素活性,能促进乳腺细胞的增殖,明确EDCs在乳腺癌细胞增殖中的作用和机制,有助于乳腺癌的预防.在归纳整理国内外相关研究基础上,总结了EDCs通过激活雌激素受体信号通路、抑制细胞凋亡和改变细胞周期等方面促进乳腺细胞的增殖,并对其分子机制进行了全面综述.EDCs促进乳腺细胞增殖的分子机制有:①EDCs通过与雌激素核受体（nERs）结合形成二聚体,改变受体构象,并结合到靶基因雌激素响应元件（ERE）上,进而调控增殖相关靶基因转录和蛋白表达;②EDCs也可通过与雌激素膜受体（mERs）结合,激活快速非基因组信号通路,改变靶蛋白活性或靶基因表达;③EDCs也可通过上调凋亡抑制蛋白Bcl-2和Bcl-xL的表达,抑制细胞凋亡;④EDCs还可通过上调细胞周期蛋白（cyclin）表达、提高周期依赖性蛋白激酶（CDKs）活性,加快细胞周期;⑤EDCs通过基因组、非基因组信号途径的交互,上调cyclin D和c-Myc表达,再通过CDK磷酸化细胞周期调节因子Rb蛋白,释放转录因子E2Fs,加速细胞从G₁期向S期的转变,促进细胞增殖.建议今后从与内源激素交互、影响雌激素E₂合成以及低剂量联合作用3个方面来探讨EDCs对乳腺细胞的增殖机制,以期为乳腺致癌物的筛查、乳腺癌预防和治疗以及乳腺细胞增殖机制的深入研究提供参考.      

对羟基苯甲酸酯在人体中的暴露研究进展

对羟基苯甲酸酯是目前被广泛使用于食品、化妆品和药品等的防腐抗菌剂。但近年来的研究显示,该类物质具有弱雌激素活性,可能是乳房癌和男性不育的诱因。开展对羟基苯甲酸酯在人体中的暴露评价,可以为流行病学和该类物质的风险评价提供基础数据。本文对对羟基苯甲酸酯的性质和用途,在体内的吸收和代谢,毒理学效应,在人体中的暴露水平及分析方法等进行了综述。