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.     

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.     

Toxics Use Reduction in the Home: Lessons Learned from Household Exposure Studies

Workers and fence-line communities have been the first to benefit from the substantial reductions in toxic chemical use and byproducts in industrial production resulting from the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA). As TURA motivates reformulation of products as well as retooling of production processes, benefits could extend more broadly to large-scale reductions in everyday exposures for the general population. Household exposure studies, including those conducted by Silent Spring Institute, show that people are exposed to complex mixtures of indoor toxics from building materials and a myriad of consumer products. Pollutants in homes are likely to have multiple health effects because many are classified as endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), with the ability to interfere with the body’s hormone system. Product-related EDCs measured in homes include phthalates, halogenated flame retardants, and alkylphenols. Silent Spring Institute’s chemical analysis of personal care and cleaning products confirms many are potential sources of EDCs, highlighting the need for a more comprehensive toxics use reduction (TUR) approach to reduce those exposures. Toxics use reduction targeted at EDCs in consumer products has the potential to substantially reduce occupational and residential exposures. The lessons that have emerged from household exposure research can inform improved chemicals management policies at the state and national levels, leading to safer products and widespread health and environmental benefits.     

Preface

A new method for generating reactive species to destroy toxic organic chemicals has been developed. This method reacts yellow phosphorus with O₂, in moist air to produce species such as O,O₃, PO, and PO₂, which are capable of reacting with various types of organics. Toxic organic com-pounds are converted to small molecular wight organic acids, aldehydes, and/or alcohols, while yel-low phosphonis is oxidital into phosphoric acid, which may be recovered as a valuable byproduct.This technique has ben demonstrated to be effective for destroying many types of toxic organiccompounds. including PAH, aromatic chlorides, amines, alcohols, and acids, nitro-aromatics,heterocyclic hydrocarbons, PCB, aliphatic chlorides and sulfides, dyes, and pesticides.     

七种环境毒物对指示菌E.coli的毒性研究

用指示菌来研究化学物质毒性具有快速、灵敏、简便、经济等优点。大肠杆菌(E.coli)是公认为较好的指示菌,对环境毒物尤为敏感。     

Vulnerability analysis for airborne release of extremely hazardous substances

This study deals with the important key ingredients of risk assessment pertaining to vulnerability analysis in respect of accidental release of the hazardous materials and industrial siting and planning.A wide range of mathematical modelling techniques ranging from very crude to sophisticated heavy gas dispersion models have been discussed and compared. Case studies have been undertaken for the recent industrial accidents in India with the help of appropriate mathematical models developed for this purpose. Simulations have also been performed under worst meteorological conditions for the accidental release of toxic material such as chlorine(Cl₂) stored at an industrial site. The role of meteorology and dispersion modelling is shown for industrial siting and planning. Also intercomparison is made in respect of various operational models (for dispersion of toxic chemicals due to accidental release in the atmosphere) by simulating the dispersion scenario due to the recent industrial accident in Chembur, Bombay resulting in the spillage of 2 t of Cl₂.The paper ends with the current practices in the quantification of health hazards and with the specific issues where more research is needed.     

A life-cycle comparison between inorganic and biological catalysis for the production of biodiesel

Life cycle assessment (LCA) has been used to compare inorganic and biological catalysis for the production of biodiesel by transesterification. The inorganic route, using catalysis by sodium hydroxide, has been compared with a conceptual biological one using enzymatic catalysis by the lipase produced by Candida antarctica. Although biological catalysis has not been used for industrial production of biodiesel to date, results from laboratory experiments suggest that it could have distinct advantages over the inorganic route, particularly with regard to a simplified flowsheet for purification and concomitant energy savings. Five flowsheet options have been included in the study to investigate the alkali and enzyme catalysed production routes from rapeseed oil, use of methanol or ethanol for transesterification and the effect of efficiency of alcohol recovery. The LCA shows that the enzymatic production route is environmentally more favourable. Improvements are seen in all impact categories. Global warming, acidification, and photochemical oxidation are reduced by 5%. Certain toxicity levels have more than halved. These results are mainly due to lower steam requirements for heating in the biological process.     

洪泽湖有毒和无毒微囊藻丰度及其与环境因子之间的相关分析

为了解洪泽湖有毒和无毒微囊藻丰度及其空间分布,于2014年8月对洪泽湖30个采样点水体的营养盐浓度和Calson富营养化指数(trophic state index,TSI)进行研究,同时采用实时荧光定量PCR技术测定了有毒和无毒微囊藻丰度.结果表明,洪泽湖水体的总氮和总磷浓度平均值分别为1.63 mg·L-1和0.11 mg·L-1,富营养化指数在58.1~73.6之间,洪泽湖水质呈富营养化状态;有毒微囊藻在洪泽湖广泛分布,其丰度在1.13×104~3.51×106copies·m L-1之间,总微囊藻丰度在1.06×105~1.10×107copies·m L-1之间,有毒微囊藻占总微囊藻的比例在8.5%~38.5%之间,平均值为23.6%,有毒微囊藻丰度及其比例均呈现出明显的空间差异性;相关分析结果显示,总微囊藻、有毒微囊藻和有毒微囊藻所占比例三者之间呈极显著正相关性(P0.01),总微囊藻和有毒微囊藻丰度与叶绿素a浓度和TSI有极显著正相关性(P0.01),与透明度有极显著负相关性(P0.01),有毒微囊藻所占比例与叶绿素a、总氮、总磷和TSI有极显著正相关性(P0.01),与TN/TP和透明度有极显著负相关(P0.01).因此,削减洪泽湖总氮、总磷浓度一方面可以降低水体富营养化水平,另一方面有利于抑制有毒微囊藻对无毒微囊藻的竞争优势.     

对二甲苯及其代谢物对HepG2的细胞毒性效应研究

对二甲苯作为一种重要的苯系物化工原料,生产使用量非常大.进入人体的对二甲苯主要在肝脏中代谢,生成对甲基苄醇和对甲基苯甲酸.目前,关于对二甲苯及其代谢物的肝脏毒性数据仍不够充分.本研究以人肝癌细胞(HepG2)作为实验模型,在细胞层面评价了对二甲苯及其代谢产物(对甲基苄醇和对甲基苯甲酸)的毒性效应,着重探讨了化合物对细胞活力、细胞膜完整性、细胞凋亡的影响.研究结果显示,对二甲苯及其代谢产物对HepG2细胞的急性毒性大小顺序为:对甲基苄醇对甲基苯甲酸对二甲苯.显然,对二甲苯在机体内发生代谢转化后具有毒性增加的趋势.另外,对二甲苯及其代谢产物暴露能够引起细胞膜破损,导致细胞坏死,并诱导一定程度的细胞凋亡现象.该研究发现为对二甲苯作为常见溶剂的生产使用提供了安全性评价的重要科学数据.     

Development of a generalist predator,Podisus maculiventris,on glucosinolate sequestering and nonsequestering prey

Insect herbivores exhibit various strategies to counter the toxic effects of plant chemical defenses. These strategies include the detoxification, excretion, and sequestration of plant secondary metabolites. The latter strategy is often considered to provide an additional benefit in that it provides herbivores with protection against natural enemies such as predators. Profiles of sequestered chemicals are influenced by the food plants from which these chemicals are derived. We compared the effects of sequestration and nonsequestration of plant secondary metabolites in two specialist herbivores on the development of a generalist predator, Podisus maculiventris. Profiles of glucosinolates, secondary metabolites characteristic for the Brassicaceae, are known to differ considerably both inter- and intraspecifically. Throughout their immature (=nymphal) development, the predator was fed on larval stages of either sequestering (turnip sawfly, Athalia rosae) or nonsequestering (small cabbage white butterfly, Pieris rapae) prey that in turn had been feeding on plants originating from three wild cabbage (Brassica oleracea) populations that have previously been shown to differ in their glucosinolate profiles. We compared survival, development time, and adult body mass as parameters for bug performance. Our results show that sequestration of glucosinolates by A. rosae only marginally affected the development of P. maculiventris. The effects of plant population on predator performance were variable. We suggest that sequestration of glucosinolates by A. rosae functions not only as a defensive mechanism against some predators, but may also be an alternative way of harmlessly dealing with plant allelochemicals.     

Modeling mitigation strategies for toxic cyanobacteria blooms in shallow and eutrophic Lake Kasumigaura, Japan

This paper explores mitigation scenarios for toxic cyanobacteria blooms in Lake Kasumigaura is located about 60–90 km northeast of Tokyo, in the southeast of Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. Dominant species of cyanobacteria (Microcystis aeruginosa, Microcystis viridis and Microcystis ichthyoblabe) produce highly potent toxins as (Microcystin-(Leucine + Arginine, MC-LR), Microcystin-(Arginine + Arginine, MC-RR) and Microcystin-(Tyrosine + Arginine, MC-YR) in the Lake. Toxin production is generally the result of two major factors-natural processes and human interferences. Both factors have an extreme influence on the generation of cyanobacteria toxins within lake ecosystems. To address these factors, we propose two concepts for mitigation. The first concept is intended for examining the natural process of toxin production behavior within the lake and the second concept is used for evaluating inflow of wastes and nutrients from human activities that form toxins. Our research aims to combine both strategies to mitigate impacts of toxins, by examining trends of cyanobacteria nutrient sources, buoyancy regulations that influence bloom formation, and the environmental conditions that spur blooms. This study proposes a simple IMPACT (Integrating Mitigation Policies for Aquatic Cyanobacteria Toxin) model for diminution strategies of harmful algal blooms and their toxins. A mixed-methods approach is employed, nested within the Environmental Systems Analysis (ESA) tools e.g. scenario analysis and stakeholder analysis. The quality of the lake is assessed through a combination of observation and field study analysis. The findings suggest that successful mitigation of cyanobacteria toxins is highly dependent on multi-functional, multi-stakeholder involvement, and relevant intergovernmental policy. Without integrating approaches among different stakeholders, diverse socioeconomic activists, local-national policymakers and effective policy measures, prevention of cyanobacteria toxin production within lakes becomes extremely complex and difficult. The proposed IMPACT model could be a decision framework for identifying suitable policies that mitigate cyanobacteria impacts.     

Development of a new cleaner production process for producing chromic oxide from chromite ore

Chromic oxide (Cr₂O₃) is an important chemical with numerous industrial applications. The traditional process used for manufacturing chromic oxide from chromite ore has low resources and energy efficiency. Moreover, large quantities of chromium-containing toxic solid wastes are discharged, posing serious pollution concerns. To reduce the environmental impact of this procedure, a new cleaner process was developed by the Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, PR China, based upon the 3Rs (Reduce, Recycle, Reuse) principles of cleaner production and industrial ecology; this new cleaner process utilizes resources more efficiently, and does not discharge emissions of chromium-containing waste residue. A demonstration plant featuring this process, as well as an Eco-Industrial Park (EIP) has been built in He'nan Province, PR China. The new cleaner process is a promising advancement for the industrial production of chromic oxide (Cr₂O₃) as well as other chromium compounds such as potassium chromate (K₂CrO₄) and potassium dichromate (K₂Cr₂O₇).     

Could wastewater analysis be a useful tool for China? — A review

Analysingwastewater samples is an innovative approach that overcomesmany limitations of traditional surveys to identify and measure a range of chemicals that were consumed by or exposed to people living in a sewer catchment area. First conceptualised in 2001, much progress has been made to make wastewater analysis (WWA) a reliable and robust tool for measuring chemical consumption and/or exposure. At the moment, the most popular application of WWA, sometimes referred as sewage epidemiology, is to monitor the consumption of illicit drugs in communities around the globe, including China. The approach has been largely adopted by lawenforcement agencies as a device tomonitor the temporal and geographical patterns of drug consumption. In the future, themethodology can be extended to other chemicals including biomarkers of population health (e.g. environmental or oxidative stress biomarkers, lifestyle indicators or medications that are taken by different demographic groups) and pollutants that people are exposed to (e.g. polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, perfluorinated chemicals, and toxic pesticides). The extension of WWA to a huge range of chemicals may give rise to a field called sewage chemical-information mining (SCIM) with unexplored potentials. China has many densely populated cities with thousands of sewage treatment plants which are favourable for applying WWA/SCIM in order to help relevant authorities gather information about illicit drug consumption and population health status. However, there are some prerequisites and uncertainties of the methodology that should be addressed for SCIM to reach its full potential in China.     

A case study on artificial intelligence based cleaner production evaluation system for surface treatment facilities

The metal finishing industry is water intensive. Surveys of South African metal finishing companies indicate that water consumption is as high as 400 L/m² of metal surface treated, whilst best available practice can achieve less than 10 L/m². The industry uses hazardous chemicals such as chrome VI, cadmium, nickel and cyanide. If consumption of these chemicals can be optimized, quantities of heavy metals released into the environment will be reduced. In some cases where cleaner production techniques were applied by local companies, heavy metals have been completely eliminated from effluents discharged to municipal sewers, which represent a significant benefit to the urban environment. This benefit was accompanied by significant reduction in the use of chemicals, with a concomitant cost saving and competitive advantage to the companies concerned.A Danish environmental aid initiative promoted cleaner production in the South African metal finishing industry. Local consultants were trained by Danish experts in this field. The general methodology was to conduct an audit of the chemical, water, human resource and environment aspects of the company and compare it to best available practice. Once the review was completed, a detailed feasibility was performed on systems and equipment required to reduce chemical consumption, water consumption, human resources and environmental impact. Applied to a number of South African companies, these methods have typically achieved reductions of the order of 90% in water use and 50–60% in the use of chemicals.There were difficulties in applying the Danish methodology to South African metal finishing companies, as it makes use of quantitative indices derived from the process operations. The companies are often small and technically unsophisticated, and do not have ready access to the process data that are needed. An alternate system is required to simplify the evaluation and optimization process. This paper proposes a case study on a fuzzy-logic operator based evaluation system that outputs the cleaner production status of the company. The model is compared to an established cleaner production tool.     

REACh as a paradigm shift in chemical policy – responsive regulation and behavioural models

The European Union is changing its general approach to chemical regulation by introducing the new programme REACh, i.e. Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals. In this paper we argue that REACh is nothing less than a paradigm shift in the regulatory approach of the EU. Generally speaking, REACh places all major responsibilities with firms rather than on administrative bodies. At the same time, this policy is far from undemanding: companies marketing substances falling under REACh must ensure that along the production chain dangers to health and environment will be mastered throughout all intermediate and final users of the substance or the product containing the substance. In other words, producers of REACh chemicals must start downstream information and communication processes along the entire production chain to meet the requirements of the directive, which is stipulating both gathering the risk-related information and implementing appropriate risk-reduction measures. This paper aims to identify the major changes in the policy approach induced by REACh, and the type of behavioural model necessary to give a well-founded prognosis.In this paper we describe briefly responsive regulation as the new underlying paradigm of regulation as opposed to hierarchical regulation. From there we proceed to analyse the concept of self-responsibility in this context, and suggest adopting an agent-specific approach. In order to form expectations about the possible outcome of such regulation, behavioural models need to be well-defined for a systematic analysis of incentives imposed by REACh. We propose a behavioural model of homo oeconomicus institutionalis in order to allow cognitive limits and rule-following behaviour of individuals in complex situations. As can be seen, cognitive limits as well as rule-following behaviour are of paramount importance to highly complex regulations such as REACh. In conclusion, REACh demands not only a new paradigm of regulation, such as responsive regulation, but also a modified approach of behavioural analysis for prognosis, such as the concept of homo oeconomicus institutionalis.Further, the incentives facing agents regulated by REACh need to be analysed. Apparently, REACh does not sufficiently take into account that regulative approaches based on self-responsibility must be supported by adequate incentives, in order to reach the objectives.     

Advances in air pollution control for key industries in China during the 13th five-year plan

Industrial development is an essential foundation of the national economy, but the industry is also the largest source of air pollution, of which power plants, iron and steel, building materials, and other industries emit large amounts of pollutants. Therefore, the Chinese government has promulgated a series of stringent emission regulations, and it is against this backdrop that research into air pollution control technologies for key industrial sectors is in full swing. In particular, during the 13th Five-Year Plan, breakthroughs have been made in pollution control technology for key industrial sectors. A multi-pollutant treatment technology system of desulfurization, denitrification, and dust collection, which applies to key industries such as power plants, steel, and building materials, has been developed. High-performance materials for the treatment of different pollutants, such as denitrification catalysts and desulfurization absorbers, were developed. At the same time, multi-pollutant synergistic removal technologies for flue gas in various industries have also become a hot research topic, with important breakthroughs in the synergistic removal of NO_x, SO_x, and Hg. Due to the increasingly stringent emission standards and regulations in China, there is still a need to work on the development of multi-pollutant synergistic technologies and further research and development of synergistic abatement technologies for CO₂ to meet the requirements of ultra-low emissions in industrial sectors.     

有毒化学品的污染评价与控制技术

对有毒化学品进行简介 ;建议从生理毒性、属性毒性及生命周期等方面建立有毒化学品的污染评价系统 ,为有毒化学品的应用、管理和处理处置提供理论依据 ;针对不同的有毒化学品及其排放情况与浓度组分拟选用物化处理法、化学处理法及生物处理法作为污染控制技术。     

Environmental impact assessment of non-wood based pulp production by soda-anthraquinone pulping process

Paper pulp manufacturing is the main non-food industrial utilization of plant biomass. Non-wood and agricultural residues are potential raw materials in the production of specialty papers. This chapter aims to quantify the environmental impacts associated with non-wood high quality paper pulp manufacture via soda-anthraquinone (AQ) cooking process by means of the application of LCA methodology in a cradle-to-gate analysis. Hemp (Cannabis sativa) and Flax (Linum usitatissimum) were evaluated as raw materials for the production of high quality non-porous pulp. A specialty paper pulp mill was analysed in detail and process chain was divided in six subsystems: agricultural activities, chemicals production, electricity production, transport, pulp production and waste treatment. Inventory data came from interviews and surveys (on-site measurements). When necessary, the data were completed with bibliographic resources.Abiotic resources depletion (AD), global warming (GW), ozone layer depletion (OLD), human toxicity (HT), ecotoxicity, photochemical oxidant formation (POF), acidification (A) and eutrophication (E) were the impact categories analysed in this study. According to the results, the environmental impact is mainly caused by the production of chemicals, electricity and fibres (agricultural activities) due to greenhouse gases emissions, phosphorous and nitrogen compounds emissions. The activities inside the pulp mill present minor contribution to almost all impact categories, excluding GW (15%) and E (6%) as well as OLD (25%). This study provides useful information for non-wood based industries related not only to pulp manufacture but also to panels or biorefineries with the aim of increasing their sustainability.     

Selective olfactory attention of a specialised predator to intraspecific chemical signals of its prey

Prey-specialised predators have evolved specific cognitive adaptations that increase their prey searching efficiency. In particular, when the prey is social, selection probably favours the use of prey intraspecific chemical signals by predatory arthropods. Using a specialised ant-eating zodariid spider, Zodarion rubidum, which is known to prey on several ant species and possesses capture and venom adaptations more effective on Formicinae ants, we tested its ability to recognise chemical cues produced by several ant species. Using an olfactometer, we tested the response of Z. rubidum towards air with chemical cues from six different ant species: Camponotus ligniperda, Lasius platythorax and Formica rufibarbis (all Formicinae); and Messor structor, Myrmica scabrinodis and Tetramorium caespitum (all Myrmicinae). Z. rubidum was attracted to air carrying chemical cues only from F. rufibarbis and L. platythorax. Then, we identified that the spiders were attracted to airborne cues coming from the F. rufibarbis gaster and Dufour's gland, in particular. Finally, we found that among several synthetic blends, the decyl acetate and undecane mixture produced significant attraction of spiders. These chemicals are produced only by three Formicine genera. Furthermore, we investigated the role of these chemical cues in the communication of F. rufibarbis and found that this blend reduces their movement. This study demonstrates the chemical cognitive capacity of Z. rubidum to locate its ant prey using chemical signals produced by the ants. The innate capacity of Z. rubidum to olfactory detect different ant species is narrow, as it includes only two ant genera, confirming trophic specialisation at lower than subfamily level. The olfactory cue detected by Zodarion spiders is probably a component of the recruitment or trail pheromone.