Post on 26-Dec-2015
U.S. EPA Design for the Environment (DfE) Program
U.S. EPA Design for the Environment (DfE) Program
WERCSJune 9-11, 2009
Melanie Vrabel, U.S. EPA
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Presentation OutlinePresentation Outline
• DfE Program Overview• DfE Product
Recognition– Overview and Purpose– OPPT Tools and Expertise– Continuum of Improvement– What does the logo mean?– Industry Partners
• CleanGredients™– Overview and Purpose– DfE Screens for Safer
Chemicals
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• Green Chemistry• Informed Substitution • OPPT technical tools and expertise• Multi-stakeholder participation
DfE PrinciplesDfE Principles
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DfE – Informing Substitution to Safer AlternativesDfE – Informing Substitution to Safer Alternatives
• Labeling of Safer Products• Alternatives Analysis
– Flame Retardants• Furniture Foam• Printed Circuit Boards
– Alternatives to Lead Solder in Electronics– Nano-Enabled Batteries for Electric Vehicles
• Best Practices for Protection of Workers and Communities– Auto Refinishing– Insulation Foam
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Furniture Flame Retardants Partnership Alternatives AssessmentFurniture Flame Retardants Partnership Alternatives Assessment
• Predominant flame retardant (pentaBDE) was being found increasingly in human tissue, breast milk and the environment.– PentaBDE was phased-out at the end of 2004.– Need for fire safety will likely increase based
on planned national standards.– Decision-making for alternatives to this
19 million pound per year chemical.
• The Report – Provides data to inform industry. – Summary assessments of chemicals in flame retardant
formulations. – Detailed hazard reviews.
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Furniture Flame Retardants PartnershipAlternatives Report
Furniture Flame Retardants PartnershipAlternatives Report
Potential Exposure
EcotoxicityHazard Concern
Human HealthHazard Concern
EnvironmentalHazard Concern
Chart is valued by industry as a decision-making tool
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DfE Safer Product LabelingDfE Safer Product Labeling• Cleaning products
• Household• Industrial and Institutional• Direct release, car-wash, boat wash, graffiti
removers, etc…• Biological-based Products
• Holding tank treatments• Bioremediation products
• Deicers• Aircraft conversion coatings• Industrial Coatings• Inks• Odor Removal• Field Paint• Tire balancing liquid
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Millions of Pounds of Chemicals of Concern
0 100 200 300 400
DfE Safer Product Labeling Program
2005
2006
2007
2008
•DfE is on track to reduce the use of more than 560 million pounds of chemicals of concern in 2009
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Continuous Improvement:As innovation occurs, continuum may shift
Continuous Improvement:As innovation occurs, continuum may shift
Of Concern Improved Sustainable
Characteristics of Ingredient of Concern
Characteristics of Improved Ingredient
Characteristics of Sustainable Ingredient
•Continuum of Improvement
•Formula Ingredient by Functional Class
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Review – 3 Basic ComponentsReview – 3 Basic Components
1) Review every ingredient by functional use class• To promote green chemistry• To understand toxicity
- Literature- Analogous chemicals – SAR
2) Review formulation as a whole• Synergistic effects• pH• Performance testing
3) Partnership Agreement
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Steps to Becoming a DfE PartnerSteps to Becoming a DfE Partner
Submits its application for partnership to
qualified third-party reviewer.
Reviews all product ingredients
against DfE criteria, collects
performance information, and
develops chemical profiles.
Communicates findings to applicant.
Submit to DfE?
Performs QA on third-party
assessment and confirms that
ingredients meet DfE criteria for
human health and the environment.
Discusses its assessment with
applicant and third-party reviewer.
Improvements needed?
Partnership begins.
Yes
No
No
Yes
Applicant
Third-Party Reviewer
Third-Party Reviewer
DfE DfE
Applicant makes necessary improvements &
re-submits application
Applicant makes necessary improvements & re-submits application
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• DfE-Qualified Third-Parties• Ensure DfE can Meet Demand• Offer Choice• Bring Excellent Technical Qualifications and
Reputations• NSF
• Teresa McGrath: tmcgrath@nsf.org, 651 493-4247
• ToxServices• Dr. Ann Marie Gebhart:
amgebhart@toxservices.com, 202-429-8794
Third-Party ProfilersThird-Party Profilers
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Screens for Safer IngredientsScreens for Safer Ingredients
• General Screen for Safer Ingredients – Overarching Environmental and Human Health
Screen (Completed in January of 2009)
• Functional Class Screens– Surfactants– Complete– Solvents – Complete– Fragrances – Summer 2009– Chelants – Summer 2009– Polymers – Summer 2009– Others – TBD
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CleanGredients™ - Marketplace for Green Chemistry Ingredients
CleanGredients™ - Marketplace for Green Chemistry Ingredients• Leverages EPA green chemistry expertise and
tools • CleanGredients™ is a marketplace…
– for suppliers to showcase safer chemical ingredients for cleaning products, and
– for formulators to find those ingredients.
• CleanGredients™ is at the intersection of safer chemistry and high performance ingredients
• DfE Screens for Safer Chemical Ingredients– Defined for functional classes of ingredients (e.g.
surfactants, solvents)– Chemicals that are acceptable under the DfE
Product Recognition Program
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CleanGredients™ - Marketplace for Green Chemistry Ingredients
CleanGredients™ - Marketplace for Green Chemistry Ingredients• Multi-stakeholder development
– More than 800 stakeholders – Technical Committees define modules for safer
functional ingredient classes• 15-30 organizations typically represented on each
Technical Committee• Expertise in formulary chemistry and toxicology• Formulators, chemical suppliers, NGOs, and
Government
• Steering Committee overseas project development• Akzo Nobel • BASF• Consumer Specialty Products Association • Corporate Express
• Dow Chemical• EPA DfE • Green Blue Institute• International Sanitary Supply Association
• Investor Environmental Health Network• NSF International• Reckitt Benckiser• SYSCO
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DfE Screen for SurfactantsDfE Screen for Surfactants• Safer surfactants degrade quickly to low toxicity
degradates. Acute Aquatic Toxicity
(L/E/IC50 Value)Rate of Biodegradation
≤1 ppmMay be acceptable if biodegradation1 occurs within a 10-day window
>1 ppm and ≤10 ppmBiodegradation1 occurs within a 10-day window
>10 ppm Biodegradation1 occurs within 28 days without products of concern2
1 Generally, >60% mineralization (to CO2 and water) in 28 days. 2 Products of concern are compounds with high acute aquatic toxicity (L/E/IC50 ≤ 10ppm) and a slow rate of biodegradation (greater than 28 days).
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Screen for Direct Release ProductsScreen for Direct Release Products
Acute Aquatic Toxicity Value
(L/E/IC50)
Persistence(Measured in terms of rate of
biodegradation)Status
≤1 ppm Not acceptable
>1 ppm and ≤10 ppm
Biodegradation must occur within a 10-day window without
products of concern
Could be improved
>10 ppm and <100 ppm
Biodegradation occurs within 28 days without products of
concern
Could be improved
Biodegradation occurs within a 10-day window without products of
concernAcceptable
≥100 ppmBiodegradation occurs within 28
days without products of concern
Acceptable
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DfE Screen for Solvents DfE Screen for Solvents
PHASE I SOLVENT CLASSES
AlcoholsEsters
Ethylene Glycol Ethers (EGEs)Propylene Glycol Ethers (PGEs)
ATTRIBUTES OF CONCERN FOR
PHASE I SOLVENTS
CarcinogenicityNeurotoxicity
Acute Mammalian ToxicityReproductive and Developmental
ToxicityRepeated-Dose Toxicity
Environmental Fate and Toxicity
• Safer solvents demonstrate low impacts to human health and the environment.