Miyamoto, Junshi. HOW BENIGNESS OF CHEMICALS AND CHEMICAL PROCESSES SHOULD BE ASSESSED FOR GLOBAL INNOVATION OF GREEN CHEMISTRY
Past-President, Division of Chemistry and the Environment, IUPAC, Chemicals Evaluation and Research Institute, Chemicals Assessment Center, 1-4-25 Kouraku, Bunnkyo-ku, Tokyo, 112-0004, Japan (miyamoto-junshi@cerij.or.jp)
Impact assessment of chemical substances to humans and wildlife species is one of the fundamental prerequisites for innovative green chemistry research. For humans, experimental animal model studies to elucidate a variety of toxicity as well as mode of action and metabolism should be refined, including elaboration of rapid assays for the definitive testing. Rational approach to species and individual susceptibility should be strengthened. Toxico-genomic approach should be encouraged to innovate classical toxicology, and epidemiological studies in human population should be refined. To assess the adverse effects on environmental species, predictive modelings for the environmental fate of chemicals should be elaborated. A few sentinel species should be selected, as well as simple definitive toxicity testing developed. To be effective, various environmental factors vis-a-vis chemicals can be specified. Cost-effective environmental monitoring can be worked out. Thus, these trials of risk assessment of chemicals will furnish a sound basis for risk management, where due consideration of risk versus benefit will be made to effectively promote green chemistry.