Toxics Use Reduction in Academic Laboratories

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)

Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry : Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry #1: Prevention #3: Less Hazardous Chemical Syntheses #4: Designing Safer Chemicals

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

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

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

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