New Product Design and Alternative Process Chemistry: SE Manufacturing Choices

This EPA congressionally mandated program sets review requirements for the introduction of new chemical products. It establishes guidelines for evaluating new products; setting permissible exposure limits for health and human safety for workforce as well as end users and setting spill remediation requirements; outlines Federal reporting requirements for bringing new chemicals to market. Premanufacturing notice PMN, chemical identification CAS, models to examine toxicity, health, and safety prior to manufacturing to fine-tune designs. This chapter reviews the EPA new chemicals program along with examples pertinent to SE that allow EPA to characterize new chemicals prior to entering production with an eye toward protecting the environment and chemical workforce. The EPA chemical model ECOSAR (ECOlogical Structure-Activity Relationship used to evaluate toxicity is described. Congressionally established EPA review time limits protect industry as well. This process assists companies in the initial phase of design for manufacturing.