Science of the Times: Widener experiments with ‘green chemistry'

In keeping with the running theme of environmentally aware columns recently, I spoke with Widener University’s chair of the Chemistry Department, Dr. Loyd Bastin, last week about that institution’s recent move to sign the Green Chemistry Commitment.

Widener now numbers among the 17 colleges and universities nationwide (as well as the first in Pennsylvania) to have signed the pledge, which basically recognizes the work that has already been taking place on the campus to bring the chemistry department in line with a sustainable and environmentally friendly curriculum.

For those who haven’t heard of it, “green” chemistry is more of a philosophy than anything else. Obviously, it is bound by the laws of physics that dictate how certain chemical compounds interact with one another, so it’s more a matter of choice in which of those compounds are used.

It does so with an eye to conservation, sustainability and safety by holding to a set of 12 principles laid out by Dr. John Warner, founder of Beyond Benign, the flagship nonprofit promoting these ideals.

The idea of “green chemistry” is not at all new. Bastin has been immersed in the stuff for 14 years and has been instrumental in developing its concepts at the college for half of that time.

What is somewhat new is that this philosophy is no longer on the fringes. Where Bastin used to go to conferences that first explained what green chemistry is before focusing on how to teach it, they now assume attendees know what they’re there for and simply go ahead with the latter part.

This environmentally conscious chemistry requires the use of less noxious substances, renewable stocks and even extends to reducing waste at the atomic level. The goal is to find ways of filling the needs of the various fields associated with chemistry in such a way that there are no remainders in the equation, so to speak.

“I want sustainability really to be in everyone’s consciousness,” said Bastin. “I want everyone to think about the effect we’re having on the environment.”

To that end, Bastin and colleagues like Dr. Krishna Bhat, assistant professor of chemistry, have been working to expand the scope of green chemistry at Widener. The seed he planted there in 2007 has since grown and spread not just within the chemistry and biology departments, but even into the business school, which now emphasizes environmentally sustainable business practices.

Even the president of the United States has gotten in on the action with the Environmental Protection Agency’s annual Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge.

The EPA has received nearly 1,500 nominations for 755 unique technologies between 1996 and 2012, according to its website, some of which have revolutionized the way chemistry impacts our daily lives.

Bastin pointed to one such innovation that found a more environmentally friendly way of producing ibuprofen, which has since become the industry standard.

And there are some surprising participants in these awards. Scattered among the various institutions of higher learning and think tanks one might expect are names like DOW Corning, Lockheed Martin and DuPont.

These might not typically be thought of as shining pillars of responsible chemical management, but that appears to be changing. The reason some of these companies are coming around to greener methods could be attributed to a conscious desire to have a less harmful impact on the planet, although the fact that less waste equals less chance to get sued probably plays a part, as well.

See, the problem with noxious byproducts is that you have to dispose of them properly or face the EPA firing squad. Neither option is necessarily cheap.

If, on the other hand, you can make essentially the same product with little or no waste, then you have a lot less to worry about in that regard. You can probably even charge a premium by slapping an “environmentally friendly!” sticker on it.

No one is going to fault you for wanting to make more money, not in this country. They will fault you, however, if you ruin the water table doing it.

And there is evidently a lot of money to be made. According to a 2011 report from Pike Research, green chemistry is expected to become a $100 billion industry within the next six years, more than half of which will be centered in the United States.

While there are currently no grant programs open solely to those who have signed onto the Green Chemistry Commitment, Bastin said Beyond Benign does envision a time when some professional development or research grants would only be available to signers.

For his part, Bastin will continue instilling these principles in the chemical engineers and business leaders of tomorrow. About one-quarter of incoming freshman will now have to take green chemistry classes as part of their respective majors next year, and even non major classes are getting in on the action.

The faster we can get these kids out into the real world with this idea of responsible, sustainable chemistry tucked squarely away inside their noggins, the sooner this will become the norm.

We might even one day achieve Warner’s dream that it will no longer be referred to as “green chemistry,” but simply “chemistry.”

Alex Rose covers the Delaware County Courthouse for the Daily Times. Follow him on Twitter at @arosedelco. Check out his blog at delcoscience.blogspot.com. Email him at delcoscience@gmail.com. His column appears every Tuesday.

ORIGINAL: DelcoTimes

By Alex Rose, Delaware County Daily Times
02/24/14