| Toxics Use Reduction in Academic Laboratories: A Green Chemistry Perspective : Toxics Use Reduction in Academic Laboratories: A Green Chemistry Perspective Massachusetts Institute of Technology July 17th, 2006 Susan Leite, Bill VanSchalkwyk
2006 CSHEMA Conference
Anaheim, CA |
| Green Chemistry: the Concept : Green Chemistry: the Concept Type of pollution prevention
Environmentally benign chemistry
Why Green chemistry?
RISK = f(hazards, exposure)
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| Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry : Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry
#1: Prevention
#3: Less Hazardous Chemical Syntheses
#4: Designing Safer Chemicals
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| Project Overview : Project Overview Background and Purpose of Project
Project Timeline
Phase I
Phase II 2003 Interviews Phase I: Collect Data, Isolate Target Chemicals Analyze Data Work with EHS Visit Waste Facilities Enviroforum Meet with Industry P3 Competition Sustainable Chem. Awards WSC-SD & AIChE Meetings 2003 2004 2005 2006 Design, Implement, Test, and Populate Purchasing Interface,
i.e. Green Alternatives
Wizard |
| Project Purpose : Project Purpose
Apply faculty-administration collaboration to address an institutional operations issue
Develop a tangible tool that can be used within MIT and the larger R&D community to make more environmentally benign and less hazardous chemical procurement choices
Provide a learning opportunity for students |
| Project Strategy : Project Strategy
Establish academic-administrative collaboration
Interview researchers in the largest chemical use and waste generation area
Establish partnerships with industry and NGOs - identify best practices
Conduct literature search and develop interactive database of peer-reviewed references
Develop website, communicate information |
| Phase I : Phase I Data Collection The Partners Procurement
Chemistry Department Labs
MIT EHS Office
Professor Susan Silbey, Anthropology |
| Step 1: Target Chemicals : Step 1: Target Chemicals *11th Report on Carcinogens. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Toxicology Program, January 2005. More than 550 gallons of hazardous waste is disposed each week |
| Step 2: Identify Cultural Forces : Step 2: Identify Cultural Forces Postdocs, grad students, lab managers
Chemical ordering strategy
Chemical sharing practices/attitudes
Highest volume chemicals and uses
Awareness of alternatives
“Cultural aspects” framed with assistance of anthropology professor |
| Step 3: Hazardous Waste Data : Step 3: Hazardous Waste Data EHS Office interviews
Consent decree and EHS-MS connection
Beyond the cradle…the hazardous waste journey
Volumes of waste generated
Chemistry Dept = 50% in 2004, 60+% in 2006
Data limitations
FY04 capabilities vs. FY06 capabilities
Can now track by PI, solvents still aggregated |
| Step 2 and 3 Results: The Hurdles : Step 2 and 3 Results: The Hurdles TECHNICAL
Waste disposal cost hidden in overhead rate
Challenges to the mass balance
No universal inventory, solvent turnover too rapid
Hazardous waste data collection - aggregated
BEHAVIORAL
Cost differential for the greener chemicals
Fear of sharing the opened container
Graduate students on a timeline - tried 100x and true; yield is critical |
| Step 4: Green Chemistry Baseline : Step 4: Green Chemistry Baseline Chemistry Undergraduate Lab - substitutions
Green Chemistry research in the Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Departments
Green Chemistry Seminar, Spring 2004
MIT EnviroForum, March 2004 |
| Phase II : Phase II Develop Chemical Purchasing Interface
Promote Green Chemistry Culture The Partners Pfizer Global R&D
Los Alamos National Lab, ACS, SOCMA
MIT IS&T, iSolutions
US Environmental Protection Agency |
| Step 1: Chemical Alternatives Research and References : Step 1: Chemical Alternatives Research and References Staffing: 2 Chemistry Department upperclassmen
Review existing pollution prevention databases
Databases available, but limited by “members only”, for charge, or information was outdated or N/A
Static flowcharts for 17 target chemicals
Chemical, processes, alternative, journal reference and/or URL for web information |
| Step 2: Stakeholder Outreach : Step 2: Stakeholder Outreach January 2005: IAP/Winter Break seminar
January 2005: visit to Pfizer Global R&D
Strategic drug development via Green Chemistry
Internal library of Green Chemistry practices
Internal recognition program
Green chemistry fundamentals as a recruiting tool
Pfizer’s Green Chemistry workshop for students
Spring 2005: Campus activities
World Student Community for Sustainable Development (WSC-SD) Poster Session
Tour supercritical fluids (SCF) research lab
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| Step 3: Sustainable Chemistry Awards Program : Step 3: Sustainable Chemistry Awards Program Inspired by visit with Pfizer Global R&D
Spring 2005: two $1500 awards given to student/staff research
Ethidium bromide substitution in teaching lab
Microreactors for synthesis of isocyanates
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| Ethidium Bromide Substitution : Ethidium Bromide Substitution EtBr SYBR SafeTM Case Study: 7.02 Undergraduate Laboratory Course vs. |
| Microreactors: All-in One Extractor : Microreactors: All-in One Extractor + A chemical microreactor fabricated at an MIT lab allows a hazardous chemical reaction (here, using isocyanates) to proceed at small quantities…technology is of interest to pharmaceutical R&D labs |
| Step 4: Green Chemistry Website : Step 4: Green Chemistry Website Portal for green chemistry research, activities and conferences at MIT and beyond
Purchasing system
Research at MIT and elsewhere
Conferences and events
Green Chemistry foundation classes web.mit.edu/environment/academic/green_chemicals.html |
| EPA P3 Student Design for Sustainability…Step 5 : EPA P3 Student Design for Sustainability…Step 5 |
| Step 6: Purchasing Wizard Design : Step 6: Purchasing Wizard Design Summer 2005: Design Considerations
Multiple platforms (PC, Mac)
Broadly accessible beyond MIT
Guided/smart/interactive process
Multiple starting points (chem, process, alternative)
Filter capability
Generate, print, email bibliographic references
EASY LINK to MIT PURCHASING SYSTEM
Within EHS: track system entry and exit points
Within EHS: maintain database remotely |
| Step 6: Purchasing Wizard Design : Step 6: Purchasing Wizard Design Summer 2005: Lab interviews, Round 2
Review solvent/chemical purchasing, uses
Awareness of hazardous waste “journey”
Awareness of RCRA requirement to minimize waste
Would a central inventory or stockroom help?
Trusted journals -publishing and reading
What conferences do they attend?
How do we best get the word out?
Which “foundation” courses would they be likely to enroll in? |
| Step 6: Purchasing Wizard Design : Step 6: Purchasing Wizard Design Fall 2005: Hire contractor, Scope of Work
Collaboration - IS&T’s Web Consulting Services
Back end - FileMaker database system
Front end - Macromedia Flash wizard
Database housed in EHS server, remote access
Database files exported to XML, Flash reads XML
End user accesses wizard via MIT Green Chemistry website; no log in.
Capability to link to SAP and purchasing portals
Potential for future integration into SAP |
| Step 6: Purchasing Wizard Design : Step 6: Purchasing Wizard Design Tracking Use of the Wizard
Third party software - HitBox (WebSide Story)
Link built into database architecture
Each “page” in the Flash wizard has an exit button; these clicks are counted to track where and how often individuals exit the system
MIT purchases software service - available as an annual or monthly charge |
| Green Alternatives Wizard : Green Alternatives Wizard 200+ References
Filtering Option
Pros and Cons Listed
Article Summaries
Print/Email Option
Links to Purchasing
Usability Tests:
Feb. 16-17th, 2006
March 24th, 2006
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| Green Alternatives Wizard Evolution : Green Alternatives Wizard Evolution Then: Static Flow Charts Now: Interactive Database… …that is accessible online!
GO TO:
http://web.mit.edu/environment/academic/purchasing.html
Required manual updating
Not interactive
Difficult to search unless you were starting with a chemical |
| Green Alternatives Wizard: Future Suggestions : Green Alternatives Wizard: Future Suggestions Updating the database
Add specialty processes (semiconductor, life sciences)
Tapping into the pool of chemistry expertise (faculty, staff, and students)
Tie-ins with other systems
Green Metrics - ranking by E, H, S ratings
Chemical inventory
SAP requisitioning system |
| Green Chemistry at MIT: The Opportunities : Green Chemistry at MIT: The Opportunities Spread the word via networks
Department EHS Coordinators
Conferences - via faculty, student, staff efforts
Collaborations with National Labs, NGOs
Host technical speakers practicing in industry
RCRA training -show life cycle, not just red tag
Lab specific chemical hygiene - training opportunity
Track progress - wizard hits, hazardous waste #s
Fund positive chemical use behaviors |
| Questions? Ideas? : Questions? Ideas? Wizard Questions/Comments Send email to: greenchem @ mit.edu Project Questions/Comments
Susan Leite, Assistant EHS Officer
617-253-5246
smleite@mit.edu |
| ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS : ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Julie Zimmerman, USEPA EPA P3 Grant Judges Panel MIT Chemistry Paul M. Cook Innovation Fund Jamie Lewis Keith- MIT Environmental Programs Office Professor Jeffrey I. Steinfeld- MIT Chemistry Professor Susan Silbey – MIT Anthropology Professor Rick Danheiser – MIT Chemistry Anneloes Hesen- MIT Sloan Technology & Policy Program ‘04 Kendra Bussey- Chemistry ‘05 Jacqueline Tio- Chemistry ‘06 Lisa Song- Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Science ‘08 Margaret Wong and Susan Jones- MIT Web Consulting Services Laurie Veal, Hao Nguyen, Rick Petithory - MIT EHS Tech Services Michael Rottas, Pfizer Global Research and Development MIT Chemistry Dept EHS Reps and EHS Coordinator MIT Hazardous Waste Program - Jeff Bernard, Justin Adams Tom Hoole, Kristen Shikes – (formerly with) MIT Procurement Hemant Sahoo - Jensen Group, MIT Chemical Engineering Rocco Ciccolini - Tester Group, MIT Chemical Engineering |