Green chemistry aims to make research and its results environmentally sound. The 12 principles of green chemistry emphasize the use of renewable resources and minimization of hazardous waste. Examples include Teflon® production using carbon dioxide and safer pesticides. Green Chemistry is a scientific journal, and others are in development.
Green chemistry is basic chemistry with the philosophy that research, methods and end results of studies should be as environmentally sound as possible. This field is concerned with the conservation of natural resources, environmental impact and the prevention of ecological problems. This is not to be confused with environmental chemistry which is the chemical study of the natural environment. Examples of green chemistry can be found in almost any type of chemistry, including organic, inorganic, biochemistry, and physical chemistry.
The 12 principles governing the study of green chemistry were developed by Paul Anastas and John C. Warner in 1998. These principles are designed to provide an ethical and moral compass that green chemists should work with. These principles emphasize the use of renewable resources in green chemistry research, as well as the minimization of hazardous products and waste by-products. An increase in safety and sustainability both in the laboratory environment and in the world at large is also emphasized.
While the principles are quite technical in nature, some examples of green chemistry that have resulted from the use of these principles include advances in the fields of sustainable agriculture and biodiesel fuels, and the development of new ways to manufacture consumer products. One example is a change in the production of the Teflon® non-stick coating, commonly used in household cookware. Teflon® is traditionally produced in water to achieve the necessary chemical reaction. With the help of green chemistry, it has been found that carbon dioxide works much better to create the non-stick coating and leaves little to no waste from the process.
Green organic chemistry, or the study of carbon-based organisms in an environmentally sound way, has led to more environmentally friendly agricultural processes. Pesticides, which are toxic both to insects that encounter them and to animals or people who come into contact with them, are gradually being phased out, to be replaced by chemically or biologically altered plants that are resistant to some parasites. Safer pesticides are also being developed, according to a scientific journal aptly named Green Chemistry.
Green Chemistry is not the only publication of its kind. Several other journals focusing on ecological science are in the works. While some of these journals are scientist-oriented commercial publications, others are consumer-friendly, allowing people with little or no technical knowledge to learn about advances in green science.
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