The nexus between alternatives assessment and green chemistry: supporting the development and adoption of safer chemicals

Alternatives assessment and green chemistry share a common goal of supporting the transition to safer, more sustainable chemicals, materials, and products. Yet the two fields, and their respective scientific communities, are not well integrated. To better understand the nexus between alternatives as...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Green chemistry letters and reviews 2021-01, Vol.14 (1), p.23-44
Main Authors: Tickner, Joel A., Simon, Rachel V., Jacobs, Molly, Pollard, Lindsey D., van Bergen, Saskia K.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alternatives assessment
Chemicals
Decision making
Evaluation
Green chemistry
informed substitution
safer chemistry
Skills
Sustainability
Sustainable development
sustainable ‌chemistry
Toxicity
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Summary:Alternatives assessment and green chemistry share a common goal of supporting the transition to safer, more sustainable chemicals, materials, and products. Yet the two fields, and their respective scientific communities, are not well integrated. To better understand the nexus between alternatives assessment and green chemistry as complementary approaches to support the development and adoption of safer, more sustainable chemicals for specific functional uses, this article discusses the foundations of the two fields and examines two case examples in which companies have utilized the tools and approaches of both disciplines in developing safer chemical solutions. This research demonstrates the importance and utility of the overlapping skillsets and tools of the two disciplines and the potential benefit of educational opportunities and collaborative spaces in jointly strengthening both fields. Additionally, the literature and case examples identify a number of research and practice needs that would bolster the application of both alternatives assessment and green chemistry in supporting the transition to safer, more sustainable chemistry, including: clearer definitions and criteria of what is 'safer'; improved approaches to evaluate potential unintended consequences of chemical applications; and more effective tools to evaluate toxicity, consider inherent exposure trade-offs, and combine multiple attributes to make an informed decision.
ISSN:1751-8253
1751-7192
DOI:10.1080/17518253.2020.1856427