The Right Tools for the Job: Evaluating Frameworks for Chemical Alternatives Assessment

Carrie Arnold is a freelance science writer living in Virginia. Her work has appeared in Scientific American, Discover, New Scientist, Smithsonian, and more. About This Article open Citation: Arnold C. 2016. The right tools for the job: evaluating frameworks for chemical alternatives assessment. Environ Health Perspect 124:A58; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.124-A58 Published: 1 March 2016 PDF Version (310 KB) Related EHP Article Alternatives Assessment Frameworks: Research Needs for the Informed Substitution of Hazardous Chemicals Molly M. Jacobs, Timothy F. Malloy, Joel A. Tickner, and Sally Edwards With the rise in green chemistry and growing concern over worker and consumer protection, businesses and regulatory agencies are increasingly looking to identify alternative chemicals for use in products and manufacturing processes. Alternatives assessment involves comparing the advantages and disadvantages of potential substitutes for toxic chemicals,1 and numerous agencies, nonprofits, and businesses have developed frameworks to help them conduct these analyses. In this issue of EHP, investigators review nearly two dozen of alternatives assessment frameworks to identify what’s working and what needs improvement in this rapidly advancing field.2 As governments around the world begin to require alternatives assessments for chemicals of high concern,3 the need for more robust decision-making capabilities is becoming apparent, says first author Molly Jacobs, a...
Source: EHP Research - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Featured News Science Selection March 2016 Source Type: research