Functional Use as an Analytical Construct

The chemical components of manufactured products, from circuit boards to laundry detergents, provide specific functional or performance characteristics. These characteristics, thefunctional use [11], enable the components, and ultimately the end-use 

Combining structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis with an understanding of functional use for product components has provided a means to compare and begin to understand the importance of the relationship between functionality and environmental effects at the molecular level. At the core of functionality is molecular structure, which drives both performance and toxicity. In some cases, this insight helped drive the development of safer substitutes, whereas in others it brought out the inherent limitations in identifying safer alternatives based on currently available chemistries and technologies. 

Through functional-use analysis, toxicological and environmental fate data on structurally similar chemicals can be applied to each member of a functional-use class. A focus on functional use not only offers commonality in perspective for chemical innovators, but also simplifies the risk assessment process. Within a given product dass, the use and exposure patterns are generally the same, with minor variability therefore, the hazard component of the risk equation becomes a 

Defining Safer Chemistry - the DfE Criteria for Safer Chemical Ingredients 

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