Voluntary approaches to solid waste management in small towns: a case study of community involvement in household hazardous waste recycling.

An enormous amount of household hazardous waste (HHW) is generated as part of municipal solid waste. This scenario presents problems during disposal, including endangering human health and the environment if improperly disposed. This article examines current HHW recycling efforts in Hammond, Louisiana, with the following objectives: (a) analyze factors and attitudes that motivate residents to participate in the program; (b) quantify various types of HHW; and (c) analyze the e-waste stream in the HHW. Residents and city officials who were surveyed and interviewed cited that commitment shown by local authorities and passion to protect the environment and human health were part of their active participation in the program. An awareness program has played a key role in the success of the program. A legislation specific to e-waste is encouraged. While knowledge and information on laws and permit application processes and the promotion of greener products are encouraged, provision of storage or collection facilities and communal transportation will further motivate more residents to participate in the recycling program.

Nanomaterials for environmental remediation: investigating the role of nanoinformatics in support of environmental, health, and safety oversight of nanotechnologies at the local level.

Nanotechnology is the science and practice of manipulating matter at or near atomic scale to create new materials of unique and novel properties for specific applications. Nanomaterials, including engineered nanoparticles (ENPs), have been used successfully for remediation since they are superior in technical performance and cost-effectiveness than traditional remedial technologies. Evidence indicates, however, that exposure to nanomaterials may lead to significant safety and health impacts. To protect human health against undesired risks from nanomaterials requires that safe and sustainable development of nanotechnology is in tandem with the availability of relevant information. State agencies responsible for the environment, safety, and public health were surveyed to understand their current and future information needs and capabilities to regulate nanomaterials. Because significant data gaps still exist on the toxicity and ecological impacts of nanomaterials, precautionary measures should be taken. Research to develop techniques for exposure assessments, surveillance and monitoring, databases, and characteristics of workplaces where ENPs are used is encouraged.

Promoting healthy school environments: a step-by-step framework to improve indoor air quality in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana.

Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) is highly correlated with asthma and other respiratory illnesses. As a chronic lung disease, asthma can have significant impacts on the respiratory system and other complications in large populations of the young, the elderly, and the infirm. This disease is associated with various environmental triggers in indoor environments including schools and homes. Reducing these sources of asthma triggers can lead to improved health outcomes in children. Environmental triggers of asthma and other respiratory illnesses can be reduced by systematically identifying and evaluating their sources and then developing a plan of action to prevent, control, and eliminate them. This article presents a step-by-step framework including easy-to-adopt strategies to support the development and implementation of an IAQ improvement and management plan for schools in semiurban environments with a focus on Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana. The framework presented here encourages outreach, training, and consultations as key parameters for implementation of a sustainable IAQ program.

The dilemma of promoting green products: what we know and don't know about biobased metalworking fluids.

Advocates of "green products" argue that promoting these products can protect the environment, workers, and public health. Biobased metalworking fluids (MWFs) are among the products promoted as "green products." The main question is, what constitutes a green product? To answer this question, the authors compared and contrasted the health and safety aspects of biobased and petroleum-based MWFs in terms of their additives. These two product categories of MWFs derived from various feedstocks were investigated through interviews and literature review. Three classes of biobased MWFs and four classes of petroleum-based MWFs were identified and compared. The little information available on the individual constituents for biobased MWFs indicates that they had biocides and preservatives, corrosion inhibitors, extreme pressure, and antiwear components, which are also common additives in petroleum-based MWFs. Precautionary approaches should be taken when promoting biobased MWFs as "green products" until individual components are evaluated for their health and safety impacts.

Health, safety, and ecological implications of using biobased floor-stripping products.

The main objective of the study reported here was to investigate the ecological, health, and safety (EHS) implications of using biobased floor strippers as alternatives to solvent-based products such as Johnson Wax Professional (Pro Strip). The authors applied a quick EHS-scoring technique developed by the Surface Solution Laboratory (SSL) of the Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) to some alternative, biobased products that had previously performed as well as or close to as well as the currently used product. The quick technique is considered an important step in EHS assessment, particularly for toxics use reduction planners and advocates who may not have the resources to subject many alternative products or processes at once to detailed EHS analysis. Taking this step narrows available options to a manageable number. (Technical-performance experiments were also conducted, but the results are not discussed or reported in this paper). The cost of switching to biobased floor strippers was assessed and compared with the cost of using the traditional product, both at full strength and at the dilution ratios recommended by the respective manufacturers. The EHS analysis was based on a framework consisting of five parameters: volatile organic compounds (VOCs); pH; global-warming potential (GWP); ozone depletion potential (ODP); and safety scores in areas such as flammability, stability, and special hazards, based on ratings from the Hazardous Material Classification System (HMIS) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Total EHS scores were calculated with data derived from the material safety data sheets. For most cleaning products previously investigated by the TURI SSL, the investigators have demonstrated that the five key parameters used in the study reported here can successfully be used for quick screening of the EHS impacts of cleaning alternatives. All eight biobased, or green, products evaluated in the study had better EHS-screening scores than did Pro Strip. One product, Botanic Gold, had a screening score of 49 out of a possible 50. This score was much higher than the score of 26 achieved by Pro Strip. The other biobased floor strippers had EHS-screening scores of > or =37, which is the average value of solvent-based cleaning solutions. These results indicate that biobased cleaning products capable of floor stripping are potentially better than traditional products with respect to the five EHS parameters used. The cost of switching to biobased floor strippers at their full strength ranged from a minimum of U.S. $15.50 per gallon ($4.10 per liter) for Eco Natural Floor Stripper (WPR) to about $59.00 per gallon ($15.61 per liter) for Botanic Gold. At 25 percent volume by volume (v/v), the recommended dilution ratio for the traditional product, the cost of the Botanic Gold was $14.75 per gallon ($3.90 per liter), or about five times more than that of Pro Strip, which was $2.48 per gallon ($0.65 per liter). Since these figures do not reflect all of the EHS costs, such as disposal and recycling fees, it is likely that use of Botanic Gold could be cost-effective in the long run. The authors therefore recommend that detailed EHS analysis be conducted on this alternative biobased floor stripper. It is also recommended that large field trials be conducted and that janitors' or consumers' perceptions be determined. For detailed assessment of eco-toxicological properties of the biobased floor strippers, investigations of the common additives in the Botanic Gold formulation should be conducted through use of databases on the World Wide Web such as Toxnet. Finally, the current policies, regulations, and standards that promote biobased products should be investigated to determine their strengths and weaknesses. This would encourage a broader public debate about the future of the biobased industry in the context of sustainability.

A review of employment conditions as social determinants of health part II: the workplace.

This is the second part of an article on employment conditions as social determinants of health and health inequalities. In part I of this article, we explored structural (external) employment conditions that affect health inequalities and health gradients. In this article, we try to examine the internal aspects of employment conditions that affect the same variables. It is not our intention to "box" employment conditions in a rigid framework within an internal domain of person-hazard interaction. The objective of examining this variable is to scrutinize internal aspects of employment conditions at a comprehensive policy level in conjunction with external contextual variables. Major occupational health concerns are examined in relationship to globalization, child labor, and work in the formal and informal sectors. Interventions that can eliminate or greatly reduce these exposures as well as those that have been unsuccessful are reviewed. Innovative interventions including work organization change, cleaner production, control banding, national and international coalitions, participatory training, and participatory approaches to improving the work environment are reviewed.