Anastas Warner ‘Green Chemistry environments

A common definition of green chemistry, which clearly encompasses considerable chemical engineering as well, is the design, development and implementation of chemical processes and products to reduce or eliminate substances hazardous to human health and the environment, (P. T. Anastas and J. Warner, Green Chemistry Theory and Practice, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1998). A more recent article expands this definition to twelve principles (M. Poliakoff, J. M. Fitzpatrick, T.R. Farren and P.T. Anastas, Science, 297, 807-810 (2002). 

Anastas, P.T., and Warner, J.C. (1998) Green Chemistry, Theory and Practice, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Anastas, P.T., and Zimmerman, J.B. (2003) Environ. Sci. Technol., 37, 95A-101A. 

The welfare of the people who work with chemical products and processes is at least as important as the welfare of the environment. Green chemistry is anthropocentric (as is sustainable development). Several green chemistry principles reflect this anthropocentrism. Principles 3 (less-hazardous chemical synthesis), 4 (design of safer chemicals), 5 (safer solvents and auxiliaries), and 12 (inherently safer chemistry for accident prevention) express concern for the health of the people who handle materials or attend to processes (Anastas and Warner, 1998). While many of these safety benefits also accrue to nonhuman organisms, the focus of the principles is on the people who are exposed to these materials and methods. Inasmuch as we cannot know all of the environmental needs of nonhuman things, it is hard to imagine how the focus could be on anything else. 

The most widely accepted definition of green chemistry is The design, development, and implementation of chemical processes and products to reduce or eliminate substances hazardous to human health and the environment . Anastas and Warner developed 12 principles of green... 

Green chemistry is not just a way to protect the environment by preventing pollntion before its creation it is also a way to increase efficiency and reduce costs of production, an opportnnity for businesses to lighten their environmental burdens and make money. To demonstrate how green chemistry can be applied, Anastas and Warner have provided some directions detailed in the 12 principles of green chemistry [4, pp. 29-55]. 

---