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Chemistry and its Role in Sustainability
Citation:
Gonzalez, M. Chemistry and its Role in Sustainability. Presented at 2014 Fall American Chemical Society National Meeting, San Francisco, CA, August 10 - 14, 2014.
Impact/Purpose:
Invited presentation to demonstrate the impacts chemical design, synthesis and processes has on the life cycle sustainability of products and chemcials.
Description:
As evidenced in literature and practice, the goal of sustainability is being incorporated into the chemical sector. This approach is focused on the reduction of any potential negative effects upon the environment and human health that can be attributed to a chemical. In order to increase sustainability, with respect to the life-cycle of a chemical, researchers must minimize or eliminate these potential impacts across the life-cycle. In addition, they must also be able to access, quantify any remaining risk, and ensure the new research direction taken is more sustainable. As the life cycle of a chemical is mapped out, there are many areas of opportunity for improvement to the current state, as well as areas of new research identified. To be presented is a thought process, for a chemical, that extends out past the improvements at the synthesis stage and demonstrations the improvement that can be manipulated at any stage of the life-cycle with direct and indirect benefits and consequences.
