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Assignment Green Chemistry
Assignment Green Chemistry
JULY 2014
GREEN CHEMISTRY
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Paul Anastas and John C. Warner developed the 12 principles of green chemistry.
These principles help to explain what the definition means in practice. The
principles cover such concepts as:
the design of processes to maximize the amount of raw material that ends up in
the product;
The best form of waste disposal: not to create it in the first place [2].
1. Prevention
It is better to prevent waste than to treat or clean up waste after it has been created
[1]. This is a fundamental principle. The preventative action can change
dramatically many attitudes among scientists developed in the last decades. Most
of the chemical processes and synthetic routes produce waste and toxic secondary
substances. Green Chemistry can prevent waste and toxic by-products by designing
the feedstock and the chemical processes in advance and with innovative changes
[3].
2. Atom Economy
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expressing how efficiently a particular reaction makes use of the reactant atoms
[3].
The use of auxiliary substances [e.g., solvents, separation agents, etc.] should be
made unnecessary wherever possible and innocuous when used. [1] Green
Chemistry initiated big changes in chemical laboratories and in the last decade
there are less toxic solvents in chemical laboratories and alternative techniques. [3]
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A raw material or feedstock should be renewable rather than depleting whenever
technically and economically practicable [1]. We know that there are many
practical problems in finding renewable raw materials. Green chemists must
change the manufacturing process by discovering renewable chemicals.
Development with depleting natural resources is a negative aspect of economic
growth [3].
8. Reduce Derivatives
9. Catalysis
Chemical products should be designed so that at the end of their function(s) they
break down into innocuous degradation products and do not persist in the
environment [1]. Persistence into the environment is a negative aspect of many
consumer products [e.g. plastic products] and this can be reversed by designing
products which degrade in a short time [3].
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REFERENCES
3. http://www.chem.uoa.gr/courses/organiki_1/greenchem/PDF_en/GREEN-
CHEMISTRY-PDF-2-INTRODUCTION-2012.pdf]
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
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INTRODUCTION
The term “sustainable development” began to gain wide acceptance in the late
1980s, after its appearance in “Our Common Future”, also known as “The
Brundtland Report”. The result of a UN-convened commission created to propose
“a global agenda for change” in the concept and practices of development, this
signaled the urgency of re-thinking our ways of living and governing [1].
Literature offers over 100 definitions on sustainable development, mostly oriented
towards separate sectors e.g. environmental, economic, civilization – or
emphasizing managerial, technical or philosophical/political decisions, and thus
expressing rather different concepts of sustainable development. [Munasinghe,
1993; Pearce et al, 1989; Pezzey, 1989; Pezzoli, 1997].
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Environment and Development fleshes out the definition by listing 18 principles of
sustainability. [4]
• People are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature.
• Development today must not undermine the development and environment
needs of present and future generations.
• Nations have the sovereign right to exploit their own resources, but without
causing environmental damage beyond their borders.
• Nations shall develop international laws to provide compensation for damage
that activities under their control cause to areas beyond their borders.
• Nations shall use the precautionary approach to protect the environment.
Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, scientific
uncertainty shall not be used to postpone cost-effective measures to prevent
environmental degradation.
• In order to achieve sustainable development, environmental protection shall
constitute an integral part of the development process, and cannot be
considered in isolation from it. Eradicating poverty and reducing disparities in
living standards in different parts of the world are essential to achieve
sustainable development and meet the needs of the majority of people.
• Nations shall cooperate to conserve, protect and restore the health and
integrity of the Earth's ecosystem. The developed countries acknowledge the
responsibility that they bear in the international pursuit of sustainable
development in view of the pressures their societies place on the global
environment and of the technologies and financial resources they command.
• Nations should reduce and eliminate unsustainable patterns of production and
consumption, and promote appropriate demographic policies.
• Environmental issues are best handled with the participation of all concerned
citizens. Nations shall facilitate and encourage public awareness and
participation by making environmental information widely available.
• Nations shall enact effective environmental laws, and develop national law
regarding liability for the victims of pollution and other environmental
damage. Where they have authority, nations shall assess the environmental
impact of proposed activities that are likely to have a significant adverse
impact.
• Nations should cooperate to promote an open international economic system
that will lead to economic growth and sustainable development in all
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countries. Environmental policies should not be used as an unjustifiable
means of restricting international trade.
• The polluter should, in principle, bear the cost of pollution.
• Nations shall warn one another of natural disasters or activities that may have
harmful trans-boundary impacts.
• Sustainable development requires better scientific understanding of the
problems. Nations should share knowledge and innovative technologies to
achieve the goal of sustainability.
• The full participation of women is essential to achieve sustainable
development. The creativity, ideals and courage of youth and the knowledge
of indigenous people are needed too. Nations should recognize and support
the identity, culture and interests of indigenous people.
• Warfare is inherently destructive of sustainable development, and Nations
shall respect international laws protecting the environment in times of armed
conflict, and shall cooperate in their further establishment.
• Peace, development and environmental protection are interdependent and
indivisible.
Looking at the definition of green chemistry, the first thing one sees is the concept
of invention and design. By requiring that the impacts of chemical products and
chemical processes are included as design criteria, the definition of green
chemistry inextricably links hazard considerations to performance criteria.
Therefore, green chemistry is a tool not only for minimizing the negative impact of
those procedures aimed at optimizing efficiency, although both impact
minimization and process optimization are legitimate and complementary
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objectives of the subject. Green chemistry, however, also recognizes that there are
significant consequences to the use of hazardous substances, ranging from
regulatory, handling and transport to liability issues. To limit the definition to deal
with waste only would be to address only part of the problem. Finally, the
definition of green chemistry includes the term “hazardous”. It is important to note
that green chemistry is a way of dealing with risk reduction and pollution
prevention by addressing the intrinsic hazards of the substances rather than those
circumstances and conditions of their use that might increase their risk. Therefore,
green chemistry offers a viable path for achieving sustainability goals across the
chemical industry. That is, there is the potential to develop industrial technologies
that could provide goods, products, and services in a way that does not reduce the
supply chain of resources, harm the environment and human health, or limit the
opportunities and choices for future generations. [3]
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Chemists from all over the world are using their creative and innovative skills to
develop new processes, synthetic methods, analytical tools, reaction conditions,
catalysts, etc. under the new green chemistry cover. Some of these are:
CONCLUSION
REFERENCES
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3. Okonkwo E. M., Okunola O. J. and Ezeanyanaso C. S. (2010). Journal of
Sustainable Development in Africa, Volume 12, No.7, Clarion University of
Pennsylvania, Clarion, Pennsylvania
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12. International Council for Science (2003). ICSU Report of the CSPR
Assessment Panel on Environment and its Relation to Sustainable
Development
13. ENDS (January 2004). Retailers voice support for REACH chemicals reform.
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