Chem
Chem
Chem
GREEN CHEMISTRY
DEFINITION
Green Chemistry is the utilisation of a set of principles that reduces or eliminates the use or generation of hazardous substances in the design, manufacture and application of chemical products .
ABOUT GREEN CHEMISTRY Waste Minimisation at Source Use of Catalysts in place of Reagents Using Non-Toxic Reagents Use of Renewable Resources Improved Atom Efficiency Use of Solvent Free or Recyclable Environmentally Benign Solvent systems
2. Atom Economy
Synthetic methods should be designed to maximise the incorporation of all materials used in the process into the final product.
7 Use of Renewable Feedstocks A raw material or feedstock should be renewable rather than depleting whenever technically and economically practicable. 8 Reduce Derivatives Unnecessary derivatization (use of blocking groups, protection/de-protection, and temporary modification of physical/chemical processes) should be minimised or avoided if possible, because such steps require additional reagents and can generate waste. 9 Catalysis Catalytic reagents (as selective as possible) are superior to stoichiometric reagents. 10 Design for Degradation Chemical products should be designed so that at the end of their function they break down into innocuous degradation products and do not persist in the environment. 11 Real-time Analysis for Pollution Prevention Analytical methodologies need to be further developed to allow for real-time, inprocess monitoring and control prior to the formation of hazardous substances. 12 Inherently Safer Chemistry for Accident Prevention Substances and the form of a substance used in a chemical process should be chosen to minimise the potential for chemical accidents, including releases, explosions, and fires.
daily lives. y Chemical developments also bring new environmental problems and harmful unexpected side effects, which result in the need for greener chemical products. y A famous example is the pesticide DDT.
on the molecular scale and is an extremely important area of Chemistry due to the importance of Chemistry in our world today and the implications it can show on our environment. y The Green Chemistry program supports the invention of more environmentally friendly chemical processes which reduce or even eliminate the generation of hazardous substances. y This program works very closely with the twelve principles of Green Chemistry.
Green Chemistry
Minimisation
Ac 2O A lC l 3 COCH 3
C lCH 2CO 2E t N aO Et
H 2O / H +
EtO 2C
OHC
NH 2O H
H 2O / H +
N H O 2C
OH N
NH 3
HF Ac 2O
H 2 / Ni
CO, Pd
HO
HO 2C
ZERO WASTE TECHNOLOGY Zero waste is a philosophy that encourages the redesign of resource life cycles so that all products are reused. Any trash sent to landfills is minimal. The process recommended is one similar to the way that resources are reused in nature. A working definition of zero waste, often cited by experts in the field originated from a working group of the Zero Waste International Alliance in 2004. The definition is as follows: "Zero Waste is a goal that is ethical, economical, efficient and visionary, to guide people in changing their lifestyles and practices to emulate sustainable natural cycles, where all discarded materials are designed to become resources for others to use. Zero Waste means designing and managing products and processes to systematically avoid and eliminate the volume and toxicity of waste and materials, conserve and recover all resources, and not burn or bury them. Implementing Zero Waste will eliminate all discharges to land, water or air that are a threat to planetary, human, animal or plant health. In industry this process involves creating commodities out of traditional waste products, essentially making old outputs new inputs for similar or different industrial sectors. An example might be the cycle of a glass milk bottle. The primary input (or resource) is silica-sand, which is formed into glass and then into a bottle. The bottle is filled with milk and distributed to the consumer. At this point, normal waste methods would see the bottle disposed in a landfill or similar. But with a zerowaste method, the bottle can be saddled at the time of sale with a deposit, which is returned to the bearer upon redemption. The bottle is then washed, refilled, and resold. The only material waste is the wash water, and energy loss has been minimized (see container deposit legislation).
The use of auxiliary substances (e.g. solvents, separation agents, etc.) should be made unnecessary wherever possible, and innocuous when used
Conclusion
green chemistry not a solution to all environmental problems but the most fundamental approach to preventing pollution.