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Cultivating Talents Through Education

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The 12 principles of green chemistry originated from “The Pollution Prevention Act” of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) in the 1990s. The aim of green chemistry is to promote the reduction or elimination of hazardous substances during the use or generation of hazardous chemical substances in the new-generation innovative chemistry technology. The U.S. EPA explicitly stated that green chemistry is centered on removing hazardous substances from chemical processes, as defined by “Green chemistry is the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances.”

Figure: The 12 Principles of Green Chemistry
Figure: The 12 Principles of Green Chemistry

Prior to the start of the 21st century, a group of chemists started promoting the concept of green chemistry. Among them, notable U.S. scholars Paul Anastas and John Warner stood out for their proposition of the renowned Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry in 1998. These principles, which focused on reducing or eliminating chemical pollution at its source, have gained substantial prominence as guidelines for cultivating environmentally friendly products and processes. Their significance within the chemical industry is underscored below:

1.Prevention: It is better to prevent waste than to treat or clean up waste after it has been created.

2.Atom economy: Synthetic methods should be designed to maximize the incorporation of all materials used in the process into the final product.

3.Less hazardous chemical syntheses: Whenever practicable, synthetic methods should be designed to use and generate substances that possess little or no toxicity to human health and the environment.

4.Designing safer chemicals and products: Chemical products should be designed to effect their desired function while minimizing their toxicity.

5.Safer solvents and auxiliaries: The use of auxiliary substances (e.g., solvents, separation agents, etc.) should be made unnecessary wherever possible and innocuous when used.

6.Design for energy efficiency: Energy requirements of chemical processes should be recognized for their environmental and economic impacts and should be minimized. If possible, synthetic methods should be conducted at ambient temperature and pressure.

7.Use of Renewable Feedstocks: A raw material or feedstock should be renewable rather than depleting whenever technically and economically practicable.

8.Reduce derivatives: Unnecessary derivatization (use of blocking groups, protection/ deprotection, temporary modification of physical/chemical processes) should be minimized or avoided if possible, because such steps require additional reagents and can generate waste.

9.Catalysis: Catalytic reagents (as selective as possible) are superior to stoichiometric reagents.

10.Design for degradation: Chemical products should be designed so that at the end of their function they break down into innocuous degradation products and do not persist in the environment.

11.Real-time analysis for pollution prevention: Analytical methodologies need to be further developed to allow for real-time, in-process monitoring and control prior to the formation of hazardous substances.

12.Inherently safer chemistry for accident prevention: Substances and the form of a substance used in a chemical process should be chosen to minimize the potential for chemical accidents, including releases, explosions, and fires.

To achieve the goal of "knowledge building," the Chemicals Administration, Ministry of Environment, has been actively promoting general education courses in higher education institutions and developing graded teaching materials for elementary schools. Additionally, the Administration has established an information exchange platform for safe chemical alternatives and is continuously researching international green chemistry practices to advance strategies for promoting chemical management. These efforts are aimed at accomplishing the objectives of "risk reduction" and "capacity management.” In terms of advancing green chemistry education, the Administration employs a multifaceted approach. It not only utilizes a diverse range of teaching materials, transitioning from simpler to more complex concepts, with a specific focus on nurturing elementary school seed teachers to firmly embed green chemistry within the education framework, but also extends its efforts on a larger scale by promoting green chemistry and encouraging citizens' engagement. For instance, the Administration has established a green chemistry integration zone, organized green chemistry competitions, and actively participated in events like Earth Day. To date, the Administration has developed an array of educational resources. These include 16 types of teaching materials for higher education courses on green chemistry, 4 types of advanced higher education materials, and 9 types of elementary school teaching resources that integrate green chemistry into environmental education. Furthermore, the Administration has promoted green chemistry concepts across 13 universities and 23 elementary schools; conducted 3 sessions of elementary school green chemistry camps and 8 training camps for elementary school seed teachers; as well as 4 types of elementary school teaching tools and 4 types of industrial green chemistry teaching materials.

Source: 
Ministry of Environment
Updated: 
2024-10-18
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