U.S. EPA Design for the Environment (DfE) Program

U.S. EPA Design for the Environment (DfE) Program

WERCSJune 9-11, 2009

Melanie Vrabel, U.S. EPA

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Presentation OutlinePresentation Outline

• DfE Program Overview• DfE Product

Recognition– Overview and Purpose– OPPT Tools and Expertise– Continuum of Improvement– What does the logo mean?– Industry Partners

• CleanGredients™– Overview and Purpose– DfE Screens for Safer

Chemicals

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• Green Chemistry• Informed Substitution • OPPT technical tools and expertise• Multi-stakeholder participation

DfE PrinciplesDfE Principles

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DfE – Informing Substitution to Safer AlternativesDfE – Informing Substitution to Safer Alternatives

• Labeling of Safer Products• Alternatives Analysis

– Flame Retardants• Furniture Foam• Printed Circuit Boards

– Alternatives to Lead Solder in Electronics– Nano-Enabled Batteries for Electric Vehicles

• Best Practices for Protection of Workers and Communities– Auto Refinishing– Insulation Foam

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Furniture Flame Retardants Partnership Alternatives AssessmentFurniture Flame Retardants Partnership Alternatives Assessment

• Predominant flame retardant (pentaBDE) was being found increasingly in human tissue, breast milk and the environment.– PentaBDE was phased-out at the end of 2004.– Need for fire safety will likely increase based

on planned national standards.– Decision-making for alternatives to this

19 million pound per year chemical.

• The Report – Provides data to inform industry. – Summary assessments of chemicals in flame retardant

formulations. – Detailed hazard reviews.

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Furniture Flame Retardants PartnershipAlternatives Report

Furniture Flame Retardants PartnershipAlternatives Report

Potential Exposure

EcotoxicityHazard Concern

Human HealthHazard Concern

EnvironmentalHazard Concern

Chart is valued by industry as a decision-making tool

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DfE Safer Product LabelingDfE Safer Product Labeling• Cleaning products

• Household• Industrial and Institutional• Direct release, car-wash, boat wash, graffiti

removers, etc…• Biological-based Products

• Holding tank treatments• Bioremediation products

• Deicers• Aircraft conversion coatings• Industrial Coatings• Inks• Odor Removal• Field Paint• Tire balancing liquid

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Millions of Pounds of Chemicals of Concern

0 100 200 300 400

DfE Safer Product Labeling Program

2005

2006

2007

2008

•DfE is on track to reduce the use of more than 560 million pounds of chemicals of concern in 2009

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Continuous Improvement:As innovation occurs, continuum may shift

Continuous Improvement:As innovation occurs, continuum may shift

Of Concern Improved Sustainable

Characteristics of Ingredient of Concern

Characteristics of Improved Ingredient

Characteristics of Sustainable Ingredient

•Continuum of Improvement

•Formula Ingredient by Functional Class

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Review – 3 Basic ComponentsReview – 3 Basic Components

1) Review every ingredient by functional use class• To promote green chemistry• To understand toxicity

- Literature- Analogous chemicals – SAR

2) Review formulation as a whole• Synergistic effects• pH• Performance testing

3) Partnership Agreement

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Steps to Becoming a DfE PartnerSteps to Becoming a DfE Partner

Submits its application for partnership to

qualified third-party reviewer.

Reviews all product ingredients

against DfE criteria, collects

performance information, and

develops chemical profiles.

Communicates findings to applicant.

Submit to DfE?

Performs QA on third-party

assessment and confirms that

ingredients meet DfE criteria for

human health and the environment.

Discusses its assessment with

applicant and third-party reviewer.

Improvements needed?

Partnership begins.

Yes

No

No

Yes

Applicant

Third-Party Reviewer

Third-Party Reviewer

DfE DfE

Applicant makes necessary improvements &

re-submits application

Applicant makes necessary improvements & re-submits application

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• DfE-Qualified Third-Parties• Ensure DfE can Meet Demand• Offer Choice• Bring Excellent Technical Qualifications and

Reputations• NSF

• Teresa McGrath: tmcgrath@nsf.org, 651 493-4247

• ToxServices• Dr. Ann Marie Gebhart:

amgebhart@toxservices.com, 202-429-8794

Third-Party ProfilersThird-Party Profilers

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Screens for Safer IngredientsScreens for Safer Ingredients

• General Screen for Safer Ingredients – Overarching Environmental and Human Health

Screen (Completed in January of 2009)

• Functional Class Screens– Surfactants– Complete– Solvents – Complete– Fragrances – Summer 2009– Chelants – Summer 2009– Polymers – Summer 2009– Others – TBD

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CleanGredients™ - Marketplace for Green Chemistry Ingredients

CleanGredients™ - Marketplace for Green Chemistry Ingredients• Leverages EPA green chemistry expertise and

tools • CleanGredients™ is a marketplace…

– for suppliers to showcase safer chemical ingredients for cleaning products, and

– for formulators to find those ingredients.

• CleanGredients™ is at the intersection of safer chemistry and high performance ingredients

• DfE Screens for Safer Chemical Ingredients– Defined for functional classes of ingredients (e.g.

surfactants, solvents)– Chemicals that are acceptable under the DfE

Product Recognition Program

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CleanGredients™ - Marketplace for Green Chemistry Ingredients

CleanGredients™ - Marketplace for Green Chemistry Ingredients• Multi-stakeholder development

– More than 800 stakeholders – Technical Committees define modules for safer

functional ingredient classes• 15-30 organizations typically represented on each

Technical Committee• Expertise in formulary chemistry and toxicology• Formulators, chemical suppliers, NGOs, and

Government

• Steering Committee overseas project development• Akzo Nobel • BASF• Consumer Specialty Products Association • Corporate Express

• Dow Chemical• EPA DfE • Green Blue Institute• International Sanitary Supply Association

• Investor Environmental Health Network• NSF International• Reckitt Benckiser• SYSCO

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DfE Screen for SurfactantsDfE Screen for Surfactants• Safer surfactants degrade quickly to low toxicity

degradates. Acute Aquatic Toxicity

(L/E/IC50 Value)Rate of Biodegradation

≤1 ppmMay be acceptable if biodegradation1 occurs within a 10-day window

>1 ppm and ≤10 ppmBiodegradation1 occurs within a 10-day window

>10 ppm Biodegradation1 occurs within 28 days without products of concern2

1 Generally, >60% mineralization (to CO2 and water) in 28 days. 2 Products of concern are compounds with high acute aquatic toxicity (L/E/IC50 ≤ 10ppm) and a slow rate of biodegradation (greater than 28 days).

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Screen for Direct Release ProductsScreen for Direct Release Products

Acute Aquatic Toxicity Value

(L/E/IC50)

Persistence(Measured in terms of rate of

biodegradation)Status

≤1 ppm   Not acceptable

>1 ppm and ≤10 ppm

Biodegradation must occur within a 10-day window without

products of concern

Could be improved

>10 ppm and <100 ppm

Biodegradation occurs within 28 days without products of

concern

Could be improved

Biodegradation occurs within a 10-day window without products of

concernAcceptable

≥100 ppmBiodegradation occurs within 28

days without products of concern

Acceptable

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DfE Screen for Solvents DfE Screen for Solvents

PHASE I SOLVENT CLASSES

AlcoholsEsters

Ethylene Glycol Ethers (EGEs)Propylene Glycol Ethers (PGEs)

ATTRIBUTES OF CONCERN FOR

PHASE I SOLVENTS

CarcinogenicityNeurotoxicity

Acute Mammalian ToxicityReproductive and Developmental

ToxicityRepeated-Dose Toxicity

Environmental Fate and Toxicity

• Safer solvents demonstrate low impacts to human health and the environment.

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CleanGredients™Search by Performance/P-Chem/Tox Properties

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CleanGredients™Search ResultsCleanGredients™Search Results

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Contact InformationContact Information

Melanie Vrabelvrabel.melanie@epa.gov

202-564-1843

http://www.epa.gov/dfe