1. LHWMP Safer Alternatives Methodology (LSAM), Spray Art Adhesives and Fixatives Case Study Larry Brown Northwest Hazardous Materials Conference June 2, 2015

2. Presentation Outline Definitions LSAM version 1.0
Spray Art Adhesives and Fixatives Case Study
Not a training, but an overview.
Feedback is encouraged.

3. Safer Alternative
A chemical or non-chemical alternative that replaces a chemical or technology of concern because it has less potential human and environmental impact.
Safer, not necessarily safe

4. Alternatives Assessment
A process for comparing alternatives, usually to a chemical of concern, and identifying those that are safer.
National Academy of Science, A Framework to Guide the Selection of Chemical Alternatives

5. “Alternatives Assessment” was first used by Mary O’Brien in her 2000 book, Making Better Environmental Decisions, An Alternative to Risk Assessment Alternatives assessment emphasizes hazard

6. Risk vs Alternatives Assessment
Risk assessment: Is this chemical or product safe enough for the intended use?”
Alternatives assessment: “Which chemical/chemical product is inherently safer/lower hazard?”
Designed to answer different questions.

7. Alternatives Assessment
Required
Optional
Hazard
Performance
Cost
Availability
Exposure
Life Cycle Assessment (Thinking)
Materials Management
Social Impacts (workers, communities, and societies)

8. LSAM = An alternatives assessment methodology

9. Objective of LSAM
To provide LHWMP staff with a method for identifying safer alternatives to hazardous chemicals and chemical products used by small businesses and households in King County

10. LSAM Development Considerations
A method to help select safer preferred chemical products
Optimize resources
Ability to update
Approaches familiar to staff
Variety of ranking approaches and data for assessing a variety of products
Useful for single and multi-ingredient chemical products
Few resources, thousands of products.
Practically, needs to be a screening tool

11. LSAM Timetable
Internal stakeholder feedback and testing of version 1.0 during Q1 and Q2 2015
Modify as needed to version 2.0 and roll out to staff later in 2015
Work in progress.

12. LSAM version 1.0 is primarily a hazard assessment screening tool designed to rank chemical products according to hazard

13. LSAM version 1.0 Ranking Approaches
Approved
Not Approved
Ecolabels
Safer Choice
Green Seal
EcoLogo
ACMI-AP
Signal Words
GHS
CPSC
FIFRA
Hazard Assessment Tools
Pharos
GreenScreen®
Ratings
HMIS III
NFPA 704
Ecolabels = a label that identifies overall, proven environmental preference of a product within a specific product/service category. 3rd party review.
ACMI-AP = The Art and Creative Materials Institute – Approved Product
Signal Words = Assigned by manufacturer, used to indicate the severity of hazard. 3 sources of signal words.
GHS = Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (commercial products) (Danger and Warning).
CPSC = Consumer Product Safety Commission (consumer products intended for households and children), not for pesticides, Federal Hazardous Substances Act requires this precautionary labels Danger and Caution/Warning).
FIFRA = Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (Danger, Caution, Warning).
Hazard Assessment Tools
Pharos = Project of the Healthy Building Network. An online subscription database that compares 36,000 chemicals against 60 chemical hazard and restricted substances lists.
GreenScreen = Gold standard of chemical hazard assessment, developed by Clean Production Action.
Ratings
HMIS lll = Hazardous Materials Identification System is a numerical hazard rating developed by the American Coatings Association.
NFPA 704 = a rating developed by the US National Fire Protection Association (identifies hazardous material risks, important to emergency responders).

14. Ranking approaches divided into approved and not approved
Approved = stand alone ranking approach
Not Approved = informs safer alternative recommendation, but not strong enough to be used alone

15. All ranking approaches were evaluated against LHWMP benchmarks
Transparency
Usability
Quality of References
Scope of Ranking
Maintenance

17. Staff

19. RST
Gathered information comes from staff and RST completes hazard assessment screening
Existing GreenScreen that has been certified or by licensed practitioner, Benchmark 3 or 4. Most if not all GreenScreens are for single ingredient products

22. RST Con’t.
RST Con’t.
Pharos Building Products Library

24. RST Con’t.
RST Con’t.
Safer Choice Safer Chemical Ingredients list

26. RST Con’t.
RST Con’t.
No, to Safer Choice Safer Chemical Ingredients list

27. RST Con’t.

31. RST Con’t.

32. LHWMP’s Numerical Scoring System
ACMI-AP seal
Signal words (use GHS if available)
Pharos Building Products Library result
Safer Choice’s Safer Chemical Ingredient list
Pharos Chemical and Materials Library hazard assessment result
HMIS III and NFPA 704 health rating result
Data Gaps

33. Data Gaps Trade Secrets/Proprietary information
Obtaining full list of ingredients
Ingredient doesn’t have CAS# for Pharos
No hazard data available for ingredient

34. Numerical scores are added together to give a total score for each product and the products are ranked based on this total score

35. No Numerical Scores are Assigned (automatic safer alternative from hazard perspective)
Product has Safer Choice, Green Seal, or EcoLogo ecolabel
Product has GreenScreen® assessment of Benchmark 3 or 4

36. Spray Art Adhesives and Fixatives Case Study
Fixative = stabilizing or preservation agent usually sprayed over finished piece of art work.
Adhesive = a substance used for sticking objects or materials together.

37. Common Ingredients in Adhesives and Fixatives
Acetone
Cyclohexane
Hexane
Propane
Isobutane
Toluene
Methanol
Ethanol
Isopropanol
Ethylene benzene
Butane
Methyl acetate
Dimethyl ether
MEK
N-Butyl acetate
2-Methyl butane
1,1-Difluoroethane
Heptane

38. Case Study Assumptions
Exposure, Performance, Availability and Cost are about the same between products
Hazard is the variable

44. Total products to be assessed, about 50.

45. Twice the total score does not necessarily mean half the hazard

46. LSAM version 1.0 Challenges
Data gaps
Changing information (MSDS, SDS, Pharos)
Getting product information
Safety ranking (ranking make sense?)
GHS transition (SDS better than MSDS)
Absence of signal words on product label (mislabeled or doesn’t need it)
Changing product formulations
Pharos: updates, website

47. LSAM version 1.0 Challenges Con’t.
Importance of ingredient concentration
Assessment of single ingredients versus mixtures
Synergistic properties of ingredients (e.g., hexane and acetone)
Identifying the initial list of alternatives

48. LSAM Next Steps
Working with statistician to receive feedback on the numerical scoring system
Testing LSAM on other product categories
LSAM version 2.0 planned for later this year, will likely be different than 1.0
White board markers, dry cleaning spot removal chemicals

49. Contact Information
Larry Brown
Health and Environmental Investigator
Local Hazardous Waste Management Program in King County (LHWMP)
Environmental Health Division/Public Health-Seattle & King County
401 5th Ave., Suite 1100
Seattle, WA 98104

50. Questions and Feedback?