Hosted by the Great Lakes Green Chemistry Network Michigan Green Chemistry Clearinghouse
“GreenScreen® Assessments of Antimicrobials Triclosan and Triclocarban,” 3 p.m. TUESDAY, JULY 15, 2014

Presented by Beverly Thorpe, Consulting Co-Director and Co-founder Clean Production Action and Fe De Leon, Great Lakes Toxics Policy Expert and Researcher Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA)

Triclosan and Triclocarban are widely used as antibacterial/antimicrobial agents in many products including cosmetics, personal care consumer products, textiles and food contact materials. GreenScreen® for Safer Chemicals, a recognized tool for comparative chemical hazard assessment, was used to assess the environmental and human health profile of both of these chemicals.
GreenScreen® classifies Triclosan as a GreenScreen® Benchmark 1 (Avoid – Chemical of High Concern) and Triclocarban as a GreenScreen® Benchmark 2 (Use –  but Search for Safer Substitutes).  These results will add new support for the growing movement to restrict Triclosan as well as demonstrate the value of comprehensive chemical hazard screening for informed substitution to both regulators and businesses.

 

Beverley Thorpe is Consulting Co-Director, and co-founder, of Clean Production Action and she has worked to advance safer chemicals policy for over 25 years. Her current focus is the promotion of Green Chemistry within government policy, company practices and advocacy campaigns and she continues to train, teach and publish materials that advance clean production strategies.  She is a regular guest lecturer on company best practice in chemicals policy at Lund University, Sweden and is a current board member of the Story of Stuff in the U.S. and Greenpeace Canada.

Fe de Leon is a researcher with the Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) and has worked extensively on toxic substances particularly in the Great Lakes Basin, on the federal chemicals management plan and on international efforts to address persistent toxic substances through the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, the Great Lakes Quality Agreement, and a global treaty to address mercury. She has works collaboratively with Canadian and international non-governmental organizations to support the listing of chrysotile asbestos for Prior Informed Consent Procedures under the Rotterdam Convention. She has coordinated the efforts of member organizations of the Canadian Environmental Network Toxics Caucus and made numerous submissions regarding the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, the National Pollutant Release Inventory, and risk assessment and risk management reports for specific toxic substances, including persistent organic pollutants and endocrine disrupting substances.