Designing safer chemicals

This unit will provide you with an understanding of important concepts related to the design of safer chemicals and chemical formulations. The content will cover principles of occupational and environmental toxicology, including uptake, distribution, metabolic conversion, and elimination of toxic agents. In addition to toxicological properties, other physicochemical properties related to safety in the applications of chemical classes will be evaluated. Consideration of specific features of chemical compounds and chemical classes that relate to their metabolic and environmental toxicity (water, soil and air) and safety will be discussed, enabling understanding of design features that will generate inherently safer green chemicals. This unit will also introduce Life cycle analysis principles with respect to the origins and fate of chemicals, including applications in formulations. Case studies with examples will be introduced, that consider parameters that can be used to evaluate the safety of chemicals, international regulatory requirements and how to access and evaluate information on the safety of chemicals and chemical formulations.