Alternatives Assessment

Introduction

Mitigating the impact of toxic chemicals on human health and the environment requires an informed transition to safer alternative chemicals, materials, and technologies. Alternatives assessment is a multi-disciplinary approach to support informed substitution and is defined as a “process for identifying and comparing potential chemical and non-chemical alternatives that could replace chemicals of concern on the basis of their hazards, performance, and economic viability” (National Research Council, 2014).

Introduction  

Supporting the transition to safer and more sustainable chemicals and materials requires minimizing the chance of a regrettable substitution. Alternatives assessment is defined as a “process for identifying and comparing potential chemical and non-chemical alternatives [e.g., materials, products, technologies] that could replace chemicals of concern on the basis of their hazards, performance, and economic viability” (National Research Council, 2014).

This guidance was developed with the aim to advance broader agreement on a general approach and criteria for the selection of safer alternatives, with a focus on chemical substitution. It is intended to advance a consistent understanding of the minimum requirements needed to determine whether a chemical alternative is safer than the priority chemical, product, or technology for substitution, independent of the entity performing the assessment or the alternatives assessment framework being used. 

Alternatives assessment and green chemistry share a common goal of supporting the transition to safer, more sustainable chemicals, materials, and products. Yet the two fields, and their respective scientific communities, are not well integrated.

Historically, regulations governing chemical use have often focused on widely used chemicals and acute human health effects of exposure to them, as well as their potential to cause cancer and other adverse health effects. As scientific knowledge has expanded there has been an increased awareness of the mechanisms through which chemicals may exert harmful effects on human health, as well as their effects on other species and ecosystems.

An alternatives assessment is a set of tools that manufacturers, product designers, businesses, governments, and other interested parties can use to make better, more informed decisions about the use of toxic chemicals in their products or processes. 

To reflect evolving best practices, the IC2 has published version 1.2 of the Alternatives Assessment (AA) Guide. This update strengthens guidance on evaluating chemical hazards and the availability of safer alternatives, while newly integrating environmental justice and climate change considerations into the AA process.