Government Watch
Rev Tech, Inc.'s, glass-printing technology relies on biodegradable inks.
directly to the glass by exposure to ultraviolet radiation, which eliminates the need for the lehr ovens and their high-energy consumption. Further, according to Rev Tech scientists, no ink is wasted, and the finished glass product is fully recyclable and refillable, reducing solid waste handling and encouraging reuse. Bayer Corp. was honored in the Alternative Reactions Conditions category for creating a two-component (2-K) waterborne polyurethane, which uses water instead of chemical solvents as its carrier. In the case of polyurethane, this green technology is applied by replacing the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) used in conventional 2-K solvent-borne polyurethane coatings with water. The 2-K waterborne polyurethane has reduced VOCs by 5090%, HAP emissions by 50-99%, and cut down solvent emissions by one-tenth of a pound per gallon, according to Bayer. Dow AgroSciences' Sentricon Termite Colony Elimination System rethinks the paradigm for subterranean termite control by replacing the use of chemical barriers with a monitored baiting system. Taking top honors in the Designing Safer Chemicals category, the system, which Dow launched in 1995, monitors for evidence of termites in the soil around a structure.
When termites are discovered, the system uses biology and the natural behavior of the termites along with a bait, Hexaflumuron, to eliminate the colony. The bait is then removed, and the system continues to monitor for new colonies that may invade the area. Conventional termite treatments, which cost U.S. consumers about $1.5 billion annually, pose hazards such as spills and worker exposure. Dow's use of Hexaflumuron in the baiting and monitoring system has been tested by several universities and the U.S. Department of Agriculture and has spawned the development of research methodologies and environmentally sensitive delivery systems for the structural pest control industry. Roche Colorado Corp. (RCC) received an award in the Alternative Synthetic Pathways category for its success in applying environmentally safe processes to the manufacture of the potent antiviral agent ganciclovir, or Cytovene. Cytovene is used in the treatment of cytomegalovirus retinitis infections and immunocompromised patients, especially those with AIDS. RCC scientists at the Boulder Technology Center spent two years designing and developing an environmentally safe production process for Cytovene. Refined in 1998, this process established the use of a technology that incorporates green chemistry principles and molecular conversion into the design process. These principles include the development of alternative syntheses using nonhazardous and nontoxic feedstocks, reagents, and solvents; the elimination of waste at the source; and the elimination of toxic byproducts and wastes. Compared to earlier processes, RCC's new process for creating Cytovene reduced the number of chemical reagents and intermediates from 22 to 11, increased the product yield by more than 25%, eliminated the only two hazardous solid-liquid waste streams, eliminated several chemical steps that involved dozens of compounds, and included extensive recycling and reuse of chemical substances. —PATRICIA DEMPSEY
than on the national level. These include a decrease in snowpack, possibly as much as 1100 ft by assuming a 4 °F warming, as pictured; a rise in air pollution and related illnesses, and a steady increase in heat-related deaths. The scientists used two separate models to predict future effects on agriculture, human health, forests, coastal zones, and water resources in nine U.S. regions. To view Climate Change Impacts on the United States: The Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change on the Web, go to www.gcrio.org/National Assessment.
Neem partially redeemed After six years of legal battles, the European Patent Office in May revoked a patent for a fungicide derived from the roots of the neem tree, which is native to the Indian subcontinent. The European panel judged that there was no inventive step involved in the patent, because neem has traditionally been used as a fungicide. The patent is held by multiple nations, and in the United States, it is unlikely to be overturned. The European decision could provide an impetus to introduce protection mechanisms into the United Nations' Biological Diversity Convention and portions of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade treaty, according to Linda Bullard, president of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements. Together with the Research Foundation of India, Bullard's organization challenged the neem patent on the grounds that the patent holders capitalized unfairly on Indian indigenous knowledge, an activity that is often referred to as "biopiracy".
AUGUST 1, 2000 / ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY / NEWS • 3 3 5 A
